Positive effects on wellbeing
A pilot evaluation conducted in collaboration with Helsana Insurance indicates that participants report improvements in their psychological wellbeing when using ephoria.
In a pre–post assessment with 159 participants, a significant reduction in psychological distress was observed, measured using the validated GHQ-12 instrument. Among participants with elevated baseline distress, a medium effect size was found (Cohen’s d = 0.46). Over a three-month period, an overall effect of d = 0.59 was observed across all participants.
The results suggest that regular use is associated with positive changes in wellbeing. ephoria provides low-threshold access to structured support in everyday life.
Further information and benchmark comparisons are available in the factsheet.
800 million people suffer from mental health conditions
The traditional care system is over capacity and many patients do not receive help on time.
This tragic health crisis results in unnecessary severities and deaths, incapacities to work and ultimately in a yearly economic damage of more than 1 trillion USD.1
Solution-focused approach
A meta-analysis from 20222 suggests that solution-focused approaches can contribute to positive outcomes in a large proportion of cases.
To support sustainable change in everyday life, it is important to combine clear strategies with regular prompts that help keep these strategies present and actionable.
With targeted reminders and exercises, ephoria supports users in maintaining and reinforcing the strategies they develop.
The development of ephoria is informed by scientifically grounded approaches, including concepts related to mindfulness, acceptance, and emotion regulation, as well as modern digital applications.
At its core, this reflects a shift in perspective: away from focusing solely on symptoms and toward a more conscious engagement with patterns of thinking and behavior that shape everyday experiences.
Research and development
ephoria is being developed in close cooperation with the
ZHAW School of Applied Psychology and the departement for Media Psychology.
The ZHAW Institute for Applied Psychology is the leading continuing education and counselling services institute for applied psychology in Switzerland. Since 1923, it has been developing concrete solutions for practical challenges on the basis of scientifically sound psychology.
Sources:
- [1] World Health Organization (2022). World Mental Health Report: WHO highlights urgent need to transform mental health and mental health care
- [2] Marie-Carmen Neipp & Mark Beyebach (2022) The Global Outcomes of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: A Revision, The American Journal of Family Therapy, DOI:10.1080/01926187.2022.2069175