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PROSIT – Predicting Risks and Outcomes of Social InTeractions
  • Prosit
  • PROSIT – Predicting Risks and Outcomes of Social InTeractions
Important Information

Due to the current situation in Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada, we would like to stress that this website is not monitored on a daily basis. For information on mental help resources and crisis interventions, please refer to health authorities in your community. You can also access helpful resources on our News page.

W E L C O M E

 

ABOUT PROSIT

Predicting Risks and Outcomes of Social InTeractions (PROSIT)

PROSIT is a research study that aims to improve the mental well-being of youth. To achieve this goal, we are working with healthy youth and patients in Nova Scotia.  From our healthy participants, we wish to learn what youth can do to stay healthy, and from our patients, to learn how youth can quickly recover from  a mental disorder.

We believe that the way youth interact with their family and friends can tell us a lot about their health and well-being. Often, youth are simply asked by clinicians how they socially interact, but it can be difficult to remember every social interaction one has with their family members and friends. Therefore, we have created an app that passively captures information on the daily social  interactions of youth.

Our app can tell us how many calls youth are making, how many messages they  are sending, and how often they are using social media to interact with their family and friends. By understanding the social behaviours of youth, we can better understand how to best help youth to become and stay healthy and create programs to better support Nova Scotian youth.

  

OUR PROSIT APP

Modern technology can help improve your care. Through the built-in sensors of your smartphone, clinicians can track your daily activities, such as calls, messaging and so on. This can let them know how you are doing and if you need help.

  

Social Media Study

Social media can offer numerous potential benefits to its users. It can promote a sense of community, strengthen interpersonal connections and facilitate access to knowledge and social support networks. However, concerns have been raised about its potential harms. Research suggests that social media may be linked to poor mental well-being in adolescence. Frequent social media use has been associated with an increased likelihood of symptoms attributed to anxiety disorders and depression, ADHD and problematic drinking. To better understand this relationship, we are using a mobile-sensing app that objectively and passively records how adolescents use social media. In doing so, we will be able to assess whether social media use predicts adolescent mental well-being and determine whether associations of social media use with poor mental well-being are mediated by motives of use, cyberbullying or reduced physical activity and sleep.

To find out more about the study, please click here: Social-Media.info

  

Mobile Sensing Study

Our goal is to investigate the following research question: does our anxiety tracking phone app reveal differences in how youth and adults experience anxiety?

For this project, we’re looking for adults with anxiety problems to help us develop a smartphone app for assessing anxiety. The study will take two weeks to complete, and will involve answering some brief questionnaires and using our phone app for 14 consecutive days.

If you are interested in joining our study, please visit prositmobilesensingstudy.wordpress.com for more information.

  

OUR TEAM

Sandra Meier
Principal Investigator

I am a psychologist by
training 
and I discovered
research as my way 
to
help improve people's lives.

Silvia Marin-Dragu
PhD Student

I am passionate about research that utilizes technology to enhance mental health, and this fall, I will be starting my PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Ravishankar "Ravi" Subramani Iyer
Master Student

I am a second-year Master of Computer Science student. I am maintaining the PROSIT app. I am also working on the customized keyboard extension for the PROSIT app.

Sana Sheikh
Research Assistant

I am a third-year student at Dalhousie pursuing a degree in Neuroscience. As a mental health advocate, I strive to help those who struggle and find ways to end stigmas targeted towards mental health. 

Matthew Orr
Post-Doctoral Researcher

I am an experimental psychology PhD student. My research focuses on the development of eHealth and eLearning tools related to neurodevelopmental disorders and disruptive behaviour.

Victoria Slipp
Research Assistant

I am a third-year psychology major at Dalhousie. I am interested in research on youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Within the PROSIT Lab, I am involved in recruitment for the GAYA study and website development.

Bilikis Banire
Postdoctoral Fellow

I completed Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering. My research interests include Human-Computer Interaction, Eye Tracking, Affective Computing, Machine Learning, Attention Bias, Autism, and Persuasive Computing.

Mohamed Muzamil
Master Student

I am a graduate-level Computer Science student at Dal. My research interests include data analytics, visualization and the use of AI techniques to build intelligent systems. 

Alyssa Forbes
Research Assistant

I am in my second year at Dalhousie University majoring in neuroscience and minoring in statistics. My main role in the PROSIT lab will be assisting with analyses as well as recruitment in the lab.

Hailey Burns
Master Student

My project investigates the effects of attentional biases in social interactions in youth with anxiety. I aim to develop a deeper understanding of the cognitive mechanisms behind anxiety disorders. 

Chloë Fuller
Research Assistant

I have recently completed my BA in psychology with honours and a minor in law, justice, and society at Dalhousie. I am passionate about making mental healthcare more accessible, and assist in the GIA and validation studies.

Nicholas Murray
Master's Student

I am recently accepted to the Masters in Psychiatry Research program at Dalhousie. I am interested in the possible effects of social media on youth with anxiety disorders. In the Fall of 2022, I will start working on my Master's project, until then, I'm assisting as a volunteer.

Kirstie Smith
Lab Manager

I am the administrative coordinator and manager of the PROSIT Lab. I have several years' experience working in research and am a strong mental health advocate who seeks to be a safe place for everyone. My credentials include a Master of Arts in Sociology from Dalhousie University.

Marcus Cormier
Research Assistant

I have just completed my B.Sc. in Psychology and Chemistry from Dalhousie University with Honours in Psychology. As I will be assisting on the Social Media Study, I am passionate about the many ways modernity can help but also hinder people’s mental health and well-being.

Shuya Li
Research Assistant

I am a 3rd year student at Dalhousie University in the Medical Sciences program. I am interested in youth health and wellness, with future aspirations of working in healthcare.

Julia Saad Hossne
Research Assistant

I am a fourth year Dalhousie University Student double majoring in Psychology and Biology. As a student, I am passionate about learning new ways to help those struggling with their mental health.

Kola Adesalu
Research Assistant

I am a third-year neuroscience and computer science student at Dal. I am interested in how technology could be used in research and treatment. In the Lab, I co-develop the smile app.

Brianna MacDonald
Volunteer

I am an undergraduate psychology student at Dalhousie University. I am interested in mental health risk factors and how to help those impacted. I am eager to get involved in research and assist the lab. I hope to pursue a career in the mental health field and help make resources more accessible.

Jibran Hagalwadi
Research Assistant

I’m a 3rd year student at Dalhousie University pursuing a Bachelors of Neuroscience. I work as a research assistant at the PROSIT lab. I am currently working on the SMILE study. My areas of interest include mental health, medicine, and research. Aspiring to become a neurosurgeon in the future!

Simal Dolek
Research Assistant

I'm doing an Honours in Neuroscience, a minor in statistics and a certificate program in Data Analytics at Dalhousie. I am passionate about analyzing databases to detect trends in cognitive processes in order to improve our overall understanding of the brain!

Holly Carbyn
Summer Student

I will be starting a Masters in Psychiatric Research at Dalhousie in the fall of 2023. Until then, I am working as a summer student in the lab. I will be assisting with the eCare-22q11 study this summer and during my Masters degree. 

Co-Investigators
Clinic Team

The clinical team includes over 15 child and adolescent psychiatrists with a wealth of experience and expertise in patient care, education, research and advocacy.

Lab Alumni

Banuchitra Suruliraj

 

Previous Masters Student

Anwar Alessa

 

Previous Research Associate

Gizelle Francis

 

Previous Summer Student

Halle ‎‎‎‏‏Loyek

 

Previous Volunteer

Isaac Romkey

 

Previous Research Assistant

Kitti Bessenyei

 

Previous PhD Student

Alison MacDonald

 

Previous Volunteer

Cody Roy

 

Previous Volunteer

Francis Routledge

 

Previous Research Assistant

Sara Hamm

 

Previous Research Assistant

Hailey Silver

 

Previous Research Assistant

Vedika Patel

 

Previous Research Assistant

Eva ‎Cohen

 

Previous Summer Student

Tessa Cosman

 

Previous Volunteer

Jess Geeregat

 

Previous Honours Student

Alexandra Finless

 

Previous Honours Student

Davi Pereira dos Santos

 

Previous Post-Doctoral Researcher

Viswanath Sathananth

 

Previous Research Associate

Anellka Remedios

 

Previous Volunteer

Evie de Fouw

 

Previous Visiting Masters Student

Lucy MacLeod

 

Previous Masters Student

Natalie Baker

 

Previous Research Assistant

Simone Alim

 

Previous Research Assistant

Ashfaq Adib

 

Previous Research Assistant

Alanna Kaser

 

Previous Research Assistant

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