SPARX 2

Features: • Helps young people with depression • Teaches CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) techniques • Aimed at 13-19 year olds • Learn and practice real life skills in a fantasy game environment! • Proven to work as well as standard care

What it is: SPARX is an app that helps young people with mild to moderate depression. It can also help if you’re feeling anxious or stressed.

It was developed with the help of young people and is based on a type of ‘talking therapy’ called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT for short. You can do CBT with a counsellor or a psychologist but you can also learn CBT skills from SPARX.

CBT teaches skills about how to cope with negative thoughts and feelings by helping people to think in a more balanced and helpful way and getting them to do things they enjoy or that give them a sense of achievement. There is lots of research to show that CBT helps. SPARX can help you learn how to have Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts!

If you are: 13-19 years old and based in New Zealand you can download this app. Funded by Ministry of Health.

For more information visit sparx.org.nz email sparx@auckland.ac.nz