Anti-depression forum

• Main Author: Gustaman, Gabriela Maisie
• Other Authors: Li Fang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Computer science and engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70550
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Depression, just like any other mental health issues, is a serious medical condition which has negative effects on the feelings, behavior and perceptions of those suffering from depression. Depression debilitates not only those who suffer from it but also families and friends of the people with the condition. Although depression is a very common mental condition, there are still many people suffering in silence due to fear of social isolation and public stigma. Some may feel uncomfortable to discuss the issue face-to-face. The severity of depression on one person differs from another person. In the more severe cases, the victims of depression may end their own lives. Therefore, it is important to have a platform where these people can share their stories comfortably without the need to use their real identities first. If further treatment such as counselling or medication is needed, then they can arrange for sessions with professionals. Current websites available mostly require the depressed people to directly arrange for appointments with experts such as psychologists or doctors. Some people may not be willing to go for the appointments due to the price, time or confidential issues. There are other websites that allow its users to share their stories. However, the design is too dark and this may worsen the feelings of people with depression whose mood are already bad. The objective of this project is to design and develop a website system that can address the limitations from the current websites and improve further. This project focuses on providing its users with the ability to share stories and interact with other users in their comfort zone. As the website targets teenagers and young adult users, the website is built by incorporating the idea of social media as it is popular among the target audience. Just like normal social media, users can use pseudonym when creating their account if they want to conceal their identities. To further improve on the website, features that enhance user experience such as post suggestion and animation are implemented. It is hoped that by using the website, people with depression and other mental issues can learn from each other experiences. They will find other people in similar situations and encourage each other in their fight with the issues.