Annotated Bibliography

Moreh, S., & O'Lawrence, H. (2015.). Common Risk Factors Associated with Adolescent and
Young Adult Depression. California State University.

Moreh and OLawrence of California State University researched depression on a group

of 2,199 adolescents and young adults that were men and female. The study talked about whether
gender was a risk factor of depression. It was found that depression is the result of not one thing
but many things such as genetics, biologic, and environmental factors. This source was used to
gain knowledge on what risk factors could cause depression in earlier times that would help us in
developing our app.
This study is a great resource for developing our argument. When trying to figure out
what factors cause depression, many of us didnt know the answer. The study found through
research that girls have a higher tendency to have depression than boys. With this knowledge, we
can use this information in developing Solace and make it more appealing to boys, not just girls.
This source was very helpful in many ways for our app Solace. The purpose of this app is
to be that confidant for not just females but males as well. This source showed us how we can
limit those risks factors of depression. Not only did this source give us more insight on what
factors can cause depression but it showed how are app can affect both male and females. This
source also helped us in understanding how many people struggle with depression. OurVoice Co.
wants to help others that struggle with depression in the most effective way possible.

Bum, C. & Jeon I. (2016). Structural Relationships Between Students Social Support and
Self-esteem, Depression, and Happiness. Retrieved from
eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6a0494ab-ad0b-472a-a95c-9e26ee525
4d5%40sessionmgr4009&vid=7&hid=4213

In this study, Bum & Jeon aimed at finding the correlation between social support and
self-esteem, depression, and happiness. They surveyed 311 students from various universities
and found a direct association between the three; higher social support caused an increase in
self-esteem and a decrease in depression. This source was used to gain an insight into how
positive communication and the presence of confidants in a persons life will affect them. It also
spoke directly to some of the issues the project focuses on, such as depression, happiness, and
confidence.
Bum & Jeons work proved very strong in terms of developing the main argument for
this project. Though it is easily seen and implied in everyday life that more communication and
support benefits a person, this proved it. Claims that Solace can and will benefit its users are now
backed by evidence that shows how higher social support decreases depression. Not only did this
study show that Solace can bring down levels of sadness in a person, but it can also boost their
self-esteem, doing exactly what the app is intending to do.
The study is very helpful to the development of Solace. The creators now rest assured
that their goal of creating an app that benefits others health and happiness through
communication and other features can actually be achieved. More specifically, it shows that the
communication wall feature holds the potential to be very beneficial. The findings of this work
instilled a greater confidence in the company that their work can lessen depression in its users
while increasing happiness, confidence, and comfort.

C=AU; o=The State of Queensland; ou=Queensland Health; ou=Online Services Unit. (2014,
February 17). Understanding mental health and reducing stigma | Health and wellbeing.
https://www.qld.gov.au/health/mental-health/understanding/

People do not like to talk about mental illnesses because of the lack of knowledge or fear
of being judged, according to Queensland Government. Being aware of mental illnesses such as
depression, anxiety, etc can help others who are struggling. There are many factors that can
worsen the situation such as taking the wrong precautions, being discriminated by people around
you, and also dealing with your struggles by yourself. This source gave us ideas on how to
educate the people on what is happening in the world and how we can help those who are
struggling and have no one to turn to.
 This resource is a strong source for our argument because the point of our app is to help
those struggling as well as educate those who do not know how to help those they love. Mental
illness is a very sensitive issue and many do not know how to talk about it. This website gave a
good overview on how to take action. The more people know about a topic, the more effective
the actions will be to help.
As said in the previous paragraph, mental illness is a topic that many do not know how to
properly talk about or deal with. This shows how the most simplest action, communicating, can
make a big difference. This source has helped our understanding of how getting everything out
of your system is very relieving and can help clear up your mind. This realization has lead
OurVoice Co to feature a communication wall so that users can talk about their struggles. This
supports our idea because it shows how communication can make a positive effect on someone.

Robinson, J., Hetrick, S., Cox, G., Bendall, S., Yuen, H. P., Yung, A., & Pirkis, J. (2014, 03).
Can an Internet-based intervention reduce suicidal ideation, depression and hopelessness
among secondary school students: Results from a pilot study. Early Intervention in
Psychiatry, 10(1), 28-35. doi:10.1111/eip.12137

Robinson et al performed a pilot study based on whether an internet-based intervention

could reduce suicidal thoughts, depression, and hopelessness among high school students. The
pilot study illustrated that there was a significant decrease in suicidal ideation, depressive
symptoms, and hopelessness. The researchers concluded that these unique forms of intervention
might hold promise for reducing the risk of suicide among adolescents. This source helped us to
understand how effective our app Solace will be for adolescents dealing with mental and
emotional issues.
The findings of this pilot study served as a very strong source for our argument. Robinson
et al verifies that our idea of having an app that positively intervenes in the emotional and mental
issues of the users would do more benefiting than harm. The evidence of their results also
provides insight on how useful our app will be to our users by stating that there is potential for a
reduction of suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness. This pilot study helps us
to realize that adolescents need something they are familiar with to cope with different issues,
bringing a new idea of help may bring hesitation and resistance but providing them with
resources they are comfortable using may encourage them to deal with their problems and not
ignore them.
This source is very helpful to our continuation of developing Solace. It keeps our idea
alive by reminding us the effect we can have in a young persons life by creating this internet
based intervention resource. This study helps to continue to keep OurVoice Co. confident in our
mission to make a difference through the positivity and encouragement that we share through
this app. OurVoice Co. believes that everyone struggles but not everyone knows where to find
help, and Robinson et al has proven that we can be the help people need and are looking for.

Model Language, Commentary, and Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2017, from MODEL
SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY ON SUICIDE PREVENTION website:
https://afsp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Model-Policy_FINAL.pdf

The Model School District Policy on suicide prevention is to help school staff become
knowledgeable on how to see students at-risk of suicide, intervene and prevent it. This page
discussed how suicide can be prevented by looking out for the physical, behavioral and
emotional health of a student. This source was useful in terms of the legal aspect for Solace
because it showed the policies that schools must go through if a student is experiencing suicidal
thoughts or has experienced the suicide of a student. It also provided us with a list of safe
contacts students can use which included the suicide prevention hotline. It also supported the
argument that students have a higher risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts when they do not
have the proper help whether that be through an app or a trained professional
The findings in researching this policy was very strong for our argument because it
happened to show how prevalent the issue of suicide is for students in school and how seriously
it is taken. If teachers are not constantly on the lookout for warning signs of suicide, than certain
students may not get the help that they need. Even though building awareness in teachers is
already an effective method of helping students, there is still a need for more effective solutions.
Solace may be able to assist teachers even further by reaching struggling students that they
cannot, as well as providing the student with a safe space and help. This policy shows the need
and usefulness for such an app as Solace.
This source is helpful to the development of Solace because it brought to our attention
how their should be a suicide hotline number. This is in case a student needs professional help
and the app is unable to help them with such a serious issue. Also, this caused us to look deeper
into how we can monitor the social wall to watch for signs of suicide. This source helped better
Solace so that it is a safe and effective place for its users.