Phone app to spot and support emotional distress in family caregivers
Official title: Mobile application for early detection and intervention to reduce psychological distress in informal family caregivers of community dwelling adults with chronic disorders in Thailand
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11379719 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are creating a Thai-language phone app to help family members who care for adults with chronic illnesses notice early stress and get brief mental-health support.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $108,000 |
| NIH project number | 3R33MH131043-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379719 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults (21+) who are unpaid family caregivers of community-dwelling adults with chronic illnesses in Thailand and who use a smartphone.
✕Less likely to help
People without smartphone access, paid professional caregivers, caregivers outside Thailand, or caregivers with immediate severe psychiatric needs are unlikely to benefit from this app alone.
What this research studies
As a family caregiver, this project aims to give you a simple phone app that can detect early signs of anxiety and burnout and offer short, culturally relevant coping tools and referrals. The team will co-design the app with Thai caregivers to make sure the content and language fit local needs and norms. They will run small pilot tests in community settings to refine the app and collect feedback and mental-health measures to improve usability and effectiveness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could make it easier for caregivers in Thailand to get timely support, reduce anxiety and burnout, and help both caregivers and the people they care for stay healthier.
How similar studies have gone: Mobile mental-health programs in low-resource settings have shown promise, but culturally tailored apps specifically for family caregivers in LMICs are still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Hongtu — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Chen, Hongtu
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.