Index
- Introduction
- Menu
- Core Data
- Stay Well Strategies
- Triggers
- Symptoms
- Customization
- Charts
- Reports
- Research Screen
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1. Introduction
Optimism for iPhone is a data capture application for entering records to the Optimism Online and Desktop applications. It is quick and easy to use, but also comprehensive in helping you track your mental health. By using it to monitor patterns in your life you can identify negative influences that you need to avoid, early warning signs that your health is deteriorating, and the inputs and activities that benefit you most.
Charts and reports can be ordered using the app for delivery by email. These can highlight cause and effect relationships that you might normally miss, which helps you to develop a health plan as you better understand the things that positively and negatively affect you.
The charts and reports can be emailed directly to a health professional, to help them gain insight into how they can help you better.
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2. Menu
All of the screens in the apps are accessed from the Menu screen. By pressing the top date bar you can select any date in the past to review your records for that day.
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3. Core Data
All of the input recorded in the Core Data screen is displayed in the Charts and Report pdf documents. The core fields measure your mood, how well you coped with circumstances during the day, amounts of exercise and sleep, and the quality of your sleep. There is also a field for recording whether you took medications (if relevant). This is below the default viewable screen.
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4. Stay Well Strategies
In the "Stay Well Strategies" screen you can record things that you know, or suspect, have benefited your health during the day.
The screen is populated with the "Stay Well Strategies" entered in the Optimism Online or Optimism Software application that you are using.
For each strategy that applies in a day you have the option of adding a "rating". This quantifies the extent to which the strategy applies for the day. As an example, you may regard mindful relaxation as a strategy for good health. For a day in which you purposefully relax you would select "Yes" for the "Relaxation / Meditation" field. By adding a "rating" of 1 to 10 you can quantify the time spent relaxing, or the quality of that time spent relaxing.
All of the data on the Stay Well Strategies screen is displayed in the Report PDF document.
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5. Triggers
In the "Triggers" screen you can record the things that you think negatively affected your mental health during the day, i.e. things that "trigger" symptoms or early signs of deterioration in health.
The screen is populated with the "Triggers" entered in the Optimism Online or Optimism Software application that you are using.
As with the "Stay Well Strategies" screen, for each trigger that applies in a day you have the option of adding a "rating". This quantifies the extent to which the trigger had an impact. As an example, you may experience stress at home that you know can set off a decline in your mood. On a day in which you experience stress you would select the field "Stress at Home" field and optionally quantify the level experienced by adding a rating of 1 to 10.
All of the data on the Triggers screen is displayed in the Report PDF document.
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6. Symptoms
In the "Symptoms" screen you can record the symptoms, or early signs of a decline in health, that you experienced during the day.
The screen is populated with the "Symptoms" entered in the Optimism Online or Optimism Software application that you are using.
For each symptom that you record in a day you have the option of adding a "rating". This quantifies the extent to which the symptom applied on that day. As an example, you could record the level of irritability that you experienced during a day by selecting "Yes" for the "Irritability" field, and apply a rating on the scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very low and 10 is very high.
All of the data on the Symptoms screen is displayed in the Report PDF document.
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7. Customization
Users of OptimismSync can customize the fields appearing on the "Stay Well Strategies", "Symptoms" and "Triggers" screens. Fields can be added, deleted, renamed and reordered using the "Custom" windows in the Optimism Software and Online applications.
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8. Charts
The Charts provide a good visual summary of the information entered in the Core Data screen. By looking across dates you can get a snapshot of how your mood and your ability to cope with life (or your resilience) has changed over time. Direct comparisons can be made with exercise, amount of sleep, and quality of sleep. A small capsule icon is displayed under the bottom chart for each day that you checked "yes" to the question "Did you take your medications?" There is a small pen icon for days in which you have made notes. These notes are displayed in the Report PDF document.
You can email Charts that cover a part or full calendar month as a pdf attachment. The email can be sent to any recipient (e.g. to yourself, a caregiver, or to your health professional).
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9. Reports
The Report provides a full listing of all of your records by date, in a formatted PDF document.
As for the Charts, you can email PDF reports for any calendar month, including the current one.
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10. Research Screen
Optimism Apps Pty Ltd is committed to contributing to mental health research. One of the ways that we can do this is by collecting data for scientific research studies.
Users of Optimism can opt-in to share their data for research. Any text in the Notes section or personally identifiable data is not included, and the information collected is completely anonymous.
A change to your permission can be made at any time. For more information please view our Privacy Policy.
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