Treating Depressed Mood With a Smartphone-delivered Positive Word Stimulation for Subthreshold Depression

"The experimental group receives video-viewing intervention using the SPSRS application, which is a smartphone application. SPSRS is programmed to present 150 ms of positive words after presenting 17 ms of self-confidence-boosting words in videos.~These words are repeated every 5 s. The words to increase self-confidence are can, let us try, good luck, able, and do not worry. These self-confidence-boosting words randomly appear in the four corners of the screen. The positive words are nice, great, fantastic, satisfactory, and enjoyable. These words are displayed at the center of the screen. Interveners use the SPSRS application according to the operating manual. The participants will use an iPhone managed by interveners to watch a pre-determined 10-minute video."

The control group uses the same iPhone as the experimental group. The control group uses the YouTube application to receive video-viewing intervention. The control group videos do not show confidence-boosting and positive words. The control group watches the same video as the experimental group for 10 min.