Research project

My Digital Friend

Status: Ongoing project

This digital tool aims to improve self-compassion, coping, and emotion regulation, to prevent anxiety and depression symptoms in children with chronic disease.

What we do

About our project

Project Motivation and Aim

Over one million children in the Netherlands live with chronic illnesses, often facing anxiety, depression, and social challenges. This project aims to develop a digital mental health app to prevent emotional problems by improving self-compassion, coping strategies, and emotion regulation. The goal is to provide a tailored, accessible solution to support these children’s mental health.

Execution of the Project

The digital tool will be created in collaboration with children who have chronic illnesses, ensuring it aligns with their specific needs and preferences. It will include therapeutic modules that focus on addressing the psychosocial challenges faced by this population. The app will be developed in consultation with security and privacy experts to ensure safety.

Research Focus and Collaboration

The project will explore the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of the digital tool in preventing emotional problems. Researchers will collaborate with healthcare professionals, ethical boards, and academic partners to ensure high-quality, evidence-based outcomes. Clinical trials will be preregistered and monitored for rigorous testing.

Impact on Patient Care and Society

By providing a digital solution, the project aims to alleviate the burden of long waiting lists and limited access to traditional mental health services. It will improve emotional well-being and prevent long-term psychological issues for chronically ill children, ultimately enhancing their quality of life and societal inclusion.

Our research focus

Co-Creation with Children

A core aspect of this project is the direct involvement of children with chronic illnesses in the development of the digital tool. Through a structured youth panel at the Sophia Kinderziekenhuis, adolescents aged 12–18 will provide feedback on various aspects of the app, including content, usability, and design. These co-creation sessions, held every three months, ensure the tool aligns with real-world needs and preferences, making it both engaging and effective for the target group.

Collaboration with TU Delft for Technical Innovation

The digital tool is being developed in partnership with TU Delft, leveraging their expertise in human-computer interaction and digital health solutions. TU Delft researchers will focus on optimizing user engagement through gamification, chatbot functionality, and adaptive therapeutic modules. The technical team will explore how artificial intelligence can personalize user experiences while ensuring ethical AI usage in pediatric digital health.

Evidence-Based Psychological Framework

This research integrates established psychological theories, including self-compassion (Neff, 2003), coping mechanisms, and emotion regulation (Eisenberg et al., 2010), to create a scientifically grounded intervention. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based therapeutic modules will be delivered in a structured 21-day program, with real-time mood tracking using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). The effectiveness of these mechanisms will be assessed through feasibility studies and future randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Addressing Mental Healthcare Accessibility

With long waiting lists limiting access to psychological care, this project investigates the potential of digital interventions to bridge the gap. Research will focus on how a standalone digital tool can complement traditional care, its role in early intervention, and its feasibility for large-scale implementation. Privacy and security compliance, in collaboration with Erasmus MC experts, will ensure the app meets medical and ethical standards.