My Experiences

How do I participate?

Thank you for your interest. We are no longer enrolling in the study at this time.

Why are we doing this study?

About 1 in 7 people experience a mental health disorder worldwide, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and psychotic spectrum disorders. Mental health disorders are one of the most challenging chronic conditions to identify, treat and manage and are particularly common in young individuals. Current mental health diagnostic categories are far from accurate in how individuals experience day to day changes in their mental health. We’re doing this study to characterize your unique mental health experience by leveraging the rich information you can capture from wearables and apps on your physiology, emotions and behaviors. We hope this information will start to inform us on how to better define personalized mental health experiences and in turn develop better and more accessible interventions.

Study Goals

The purpose of the My Experiences study by 4YouandMe is to see if digital tools like smartphones and wearable devices are helpful in finding out new information about mental health experiences within individuals.This study is a participant centric feasibility study. We hope to learn from you as co-partners on how to better conduct digital mental health research and tailor digital tools so that they are useful and empowering for the end-user that is you and others like you.

Who can participate?

We are recruiting up to 400 participants, with a focus on undergraduate students at various campuses, through social media channels, and other avenues. Enrollment opened in June of 2023. To be eligible for the My Experiences study you must be:

• 18+ years old

• Experiencing mental health symptoms OR have a clinician confirmed mental health diagnosis

• Able to complete study tasks utilizing wearable devices and a study app

• Able to speak and read English

• Own an iPhone 5s or newer (iOS 12 or higher)

What will I do in the study?

This is an entirely remote study so there are no in-person visits!

If you are eligible, you will sign an in app consent form and be contacted by a study team member via email with further information about the study. If you choose to participate you will be asked to complete the following tasks:

• Wear an Oura Ring that we will provide you or use your own wearable device that collects data, such as a Garmin, Fitbit, Apple smartwatch or an Oura smart ring.

• Complete in-app surveys daily (an average of 3-5 minutes per day)

• Only in some participants, a member of the study team will attempt to reach out via phone as often as every 2-4 weeks

• Provide access to some of the health information that is collected from you when you visit your doctor. You may also send additional questions to myexperiences@4youandme.org

Your participation will last up to 9 months from the time you enroll. This study is completely voluntary and you can leave at any time. You will not be compensated for your participation. If you are provisioned with an Oura smart ring and complete the study you will be able to keep the Oura smart ring.

Who is conducting the study?

This study is conducted by 4YouandMe (www.4youandme.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering people to better understand their health and mental health and increasing the strength of their voices through remote digital health technology. Our study partners include MindMed, the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Cambridge Cognition. The study is funded by 4YouandMe and MindMed.

Do you have further information for me to read?

Yes!

Here is the link to the My Experiences study frequently asked questions (https://4youandme.org/myexperiencesfaq)

If you would prefer to speak directly to a member of our study team, please contact: myexperiences@4youandme.org