Joyable is a web- and mobile-app aimed at treating social anxiety, general anxiety or depression. Joyable utilized iCBT with the support of a live coach. The program is designed as an eight weeks-eight modules intervention, with one module becoming available every week. It begins with a short screening questionnaire, followed by a 30 min elective phone conversation with the coach. Joyable then leads the user through a series of short steps (i.e. modules) – about 5 minute long – aiming to educate and provide the user with coping tools. All through a personalized user experience.
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Expert Evaluation
Program Quality
3.1 out of 5
Source Credibility
Good
Privacy Explanation
Transparent
Pros
Friendly to use/ coach support.
Cons
Price may be considered high/coach’s support is not embedded within the therapeutic process.
Summary
Joyable is a friendly to use program. Content is delivered in a very concise manner and weekly modules are quickly completed. The program’s best feature is the coach accompanying the user from the beginning. However, in order to fully enjoy the coach’s support the user has to be proactive in initiating the contact and coach’s support is not embedded within the treatment path. In the current review, the coach was friendly and supportive, however, did not assist in maintaining the communication channel during important steps within the therpuetic process or comment concretely on the user’s activities and tasks completed so far. Therefore, it seems that users who are more proactive and motivated to create conversations with the coach are those who will benefit from the coach’s support, whereas those who are less motivated (and probably need coach’s assistant) might fail to receive it. In addition, the program’s design could make it easier for the user to practice the skills (e.g. toolbox, tracker).
Notes for Clinicians
Joyable could be recommended as part of an ongoing treatment for patients experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety that appear as a secondary condition not addressed in therapeutic encounters (due to reasons such as time limitations). The therapist can assist in motivating users to contact the program’s coach in order to maximize adherence to the program.