RESEARCH

David’s research concerns the use of smartphone apps for mental health purposes. He is the Founding Director of MoodMission, which uses evidence-based techniques to help users learn more effective ways to deal with low moods and anxious feelings. Below is a list of studies using MoodMission data, showing the app’s effectiveness. David is also part of the team that developed mood tracking app MoodPrism.

David’s honours research focussed on music and emotion, using event-related potentials (ERPs) derived from electroencephalography recordings to quantify facilitation of emotional processing. One of the two experiments conducted as part of his honours thesis was published in Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience (see below).

Publications

First Author

Bakker, D., & Rickard, N. (2019). Engagement with a cognitive behavioural therapy mobile phone app predicts changes in mental health and wellbeing: MoodMission. Australian Psychologist, 54, 245-260. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12383

Bakker, D., Kazantzis, N., Rickwood, D., & Rickard, N. (2018). A randomized controlled trial of three smartphone apps for enhancing public mental health. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 109, 76-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2018.08.003

Bakker, D., Kazantzis, N., Rickwood, D., & Rickard, N. (2018). Development and Pilot Evaluation of Smartphone-Delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy Strategies for Mood- and Anxiety-Related Problems: MoodMission. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.07.002

Bakker, D., & Rickard, N. (2017). Engagement in mobile phone app for self-monitoring of emotional wellbeing predicts changes in mental health: MoodPrism. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.016

Bakker, D., Kazantzis, N., Rickwood, D., & Rickard, N. (2016). Mental health smartphone apps: Review and evidence-based recommendations. JMIR Mental Health, 3, e7. https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.4984

Bakker, D. R., & Martin, F. H. (2015). Musical chords and emotion: Major and minor triads are processed for emotion. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 15-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13415-014-0309-4

Supporting Author

Aizenstros, A., Bakker, D., Hofmann, S. G., Curtiss, J., & Kazantzis, N. (2021). Engagement with smartphone-delivered behavioral activation interventions: A study of the MoodMission smartphone application. Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy. 49, 569-581. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465820000922

Arjmand H. A., Seabrook E., Bakker D., & Rickard N. (2021). Mental Health Consequences of Adversity in Australia: National Bushfires Associated With Increased Depressive Symptoms, While COVID-19 Pandemic Associated With Increased Symptoms of Anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 635158, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.635158

Lee, M. S. T., & Bakker, D. (2024). Social and non-social cognitive behavioural therapy strategies for depression: findings from the MoodMission smartphone application. Australian Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2024.2315025

Moggia, D., Lutz, W., Kazantzis, N., Schwartz, B., & Bakker D. (2023). Symptom Reduction and Engagement in a Cognitive-Behavioral Mobile Phone App: A Study of User Profiling to Determine Prognostic Indicators. Behavior Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2023.05.014.

Rickard N., Arjmand H. A., Bakker D., & Seabrook E. (2016). Development of a Mobile Phone App to Support Self-Monitoring of Emotional Well-Being: A Mental Health Digital Innovation. JMIR Ment Health, 3, e49. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/mental.6202

ORCID: 0000-0002-0343-1100