Program Reviews

ThoughtSpot

Program Overview

ThoughtSpot is a mobile app and online platform developed to promote mental health help-seeking behaviors in young adults. The app and online platform, designed by postsecondary students, for postsecondary students, acts as a crowdsourced map of available resources. ThoughtSpot allows users to search, tag, and rate mental health and wellness resources. Users can also track their moods and thoughts within the app. ThoughtSpot takes the school-specific mental health pamphlets and promotes accessibility and transparency regarding the available resources while using social connections to break down the stigma of help-seeking behaviors for mental health.

Last Updated: 4/29/2025

Delivery
Mobile app
Theoretical Approach
Social support
Target Outcomes
Help seeking behaviors
Help seeking attitudes
Self-efficacy

Age
Young adult: 18 – 30 years
Gender
Male
Female
Non-Binary+
Race
Not reported
Ethnicity
Not Reported

Setting
Web/App Based
Geographic Location
Canada
Language
English
Index Study Publication Date
October 30, 2020

Evaluations

  • Wiljer D, Shi J, Lo B, et al. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(10):e20790. doi:10.2196/20790

    Study Design: RCT
    Study Type: Efficacy/Effectiveness
    Sample Size: N=481
    Demographics:
    Age
    Young adult: 18 – 30 years
    Gender
    Male: 18.9%
    Female: 78.6%
    Transgender: not reported
    Non-Binary+: 2.5%
    Race
    American Indian or Alaska Native: not reported
    Asian: not reported
    Black or African American: not reported
    Multiracial: not reported
    Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: not reported
    White: not reported
    Other: not reported
    Ethnicity
    Hispanic: not reported

  • Assessing the usability and user engagement of Thought Spot – A digital mental health help-seeking solution for transition-aged youth. Shi J, Lo B, Wong HW, et al. Internet Interv. 2021;24:100386. doi:10.1016/j.invent.2021.100386

    Postsecondary Student Engagement With a Mental Health App and Online Platform (Thought Spot): Qualitative Study of User Experience. Wong HW, Lo B, Shi J, et al. JMIR Ment Health. 2021;8(4):e23447. doi:10.2196/23447

    Thought Spot: Embedding Usability Testing into the Development Cycle. Sennah S, Shi J, Hollenberg E, et al. 2019. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics.

    The Optimization of an eHealth Solution (Thought Spot) with Transition-Aged Youth in Postsecondary Settings: Participatory Design Research. VanHeerwaarden N, Ferguson G, Abi-Jaoude A, et al. J Med Internet Res. 2018;20(3):e79. doi:10.2196/jmir.8102