ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In recent years, many mobile health (mHealth) apps have been developed to support diagnostics and treatment, among other purposes. It is likely that involving patients closely in the development process will lead to more relevant apps. In theory, the Agile style of software development can make this possible. However, whether this is feasible in mental healthcare practice has never been investigated.
AIM: To investigate whether it is possible in practice to develop an mHealth app together with young people in a highly specialized mental healthcare context, by using Agile.
METHOD: A proof-of-concept study that seeks to develop an mHealth app by implementing Agile together with clinically admitted, young psychiatric patients. Patients would directly influence the development goals and priorities.
RESULTS: In the period from May to July 2019 the app 'Constant Circles' has been developed using Agile together with patients. The main focus of this app is social support. The patients supplied 18 concrete user stories and also provided feedback with general principles for developing an mHealth app.
CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that it is possible to closely involve patients in highly specialized mental health care in the development process of an mHealth app by using Agile.
Subject(s)
Mobile Applications , Telemedicine , Adolescent , Humans , Mental Health , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, an overview of literature on picky eating is given, with the focus on recently published studies. RECENT FINDINGS: Papers on picky eating published over the past 2 years broadly covered three themes: characterization of picky eating; factors contributing to the development of picky eating in children; and management of picky eating. Findings suggest that picky eating is a reasonably robust concept, comprising food neophobia, eating a limited variety of food, and other specific features related to food and eating (e.g. low enjoyment of food, slowness in eating, and higher satiety responsiveness). Picky eating has a higher prevalence in preschool children and seems to decrease thereafter. Studies investigating factors influencing the development of picky eating in childhood have examined a range of child factors, parent factors, and parent-child interactions. Only very limited guidance has emerged regarding the management of picky eating. SUMMARY: Picky eating is a descriptive term with greater emerging clarity about its core characteristics and associations. Research remains limited with ongoing difficulties related to lack of standardized assessment measures, and poor ability to differentiate between normal and clinically significant picky eating.
Subject(s)
Food Preferences , Parent-Child Relations , Age Factors , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Parenting , PrevalenceABSTRACT
Hyperactivity in anorexia nervosa is difficult to control and negatively impacts outcome. Hyperactivity is a key driving force to starvation in an animal model named activity-based anorexia (ABA). Recent research has started unraveling what mechanisms underlie this hyperactivity. Besides a general increase in locomotor activity that may be an expression of foraging behavior and involves frontal brain regions, the increased locomotor activity expressed before food is presented (food anticipatory behavior or FAA) involves hypothalamic neural circuits. Ghrelin plays a role in FAA, whereas decreased leptin signaling is involved in both aspects of increased locomotor activity. We hypothesize that increased ghrelin and decreased leptin signaling drive the activity of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. In anorexia nervosa patients, this altered activity of the dopamine system may be involved not only in hyperactivity but also in aberrant cognitive processing related to food.
