Many digital mental health apps show promising results for stress and anxiety management, but they often fail to keep users engaged. Our project—conducted in collaboration with Professor Hyungsook Kim’s research team at HYDHC (Hanyang University Digital Healthcare Center) and supported by the Korean government—explores whether personalized content (tailored mindfulness exercises, stress-reducing games, and emotion check-ins) and affective rewards (motivational messages, gamified feedback) can sustain app usage and improve mental health outcomes.
Over a 15-day period, participants use a smartphone app for daily wellness tasks while wearing a smartwatch donated by Samsung. The device captures physiological data such as heart rate variability and sleep quality. Changes in self-reported anxiety and stress are assessed using standardized tools (GAD-7 and PSS-10), alongside usage metrics like time spent in the app and task completion rates. By analyzing correlations between user engagement and physiological indicators, the study aims to uncover strategies for designing more engaging and effective digital mental health tools.
Initial findings will help us understand how personalized features and reward-based motivation can enhance mental health interventions—particularly for individuals who struggle to stick with app-based therapies.