An accessible mental health app for early depression management called Support Sphere

Abstract

This research paper presents the design, development, and preliminary evaluation of a mental health support application aimed at individuals experiencing mild to moderate levels of depression, specifically focusing on users in stages 1 and 2 of the condition. The project was conducted as part of the CSE400 Project course requirement for the B.Sc. in Computer Science program at Brac University, as a Project. This application seeks to provide users with a pressure-free, judgment-free space for self-care. The core features of the app include a gratitude journal, breathing workouts, a happiness-boosting to-do list, inspirational content, and progress tracking mechanisms, all built using the Flutter framework with cloud-based data storage. The motivation for the project stems from both personal and professional experiences of the author, who has dealt with Major Depressive Disorder and has previously worked at a suicide prevention helpline. Existing mental health apps often operate under freemium or premium models, making them inaccessible to many users, especially in developing regions. This app offers a free, simplified, and stigmafree alternative. Due to the sensitive nature of mental health, the application was evaluated through qualitative feedback from a small group of users rather than largescale data collection. Their emotional responses, usage behavior, and suggestions helped validate the app’s impact and informed the design adjustments. This paper also explores the societal, ethical, and environmental implications of such technologies and provides an extensive literature review and gap analysis of current mental health apps and studies. Due to the sensitive nature of the concept, the application went through a small testing phase. In general, participants found the application to be helpful, journaling, breathing and BMI modules were particularly praised to help with anxiety and body image.