Depression app Rejoyn tries to improve brain function

For people undergoing treatment for major depression, there is now another healing option they can try.

Rejoyn, the first Food and Drug Administration-approved app to treat depression, was officially launched to the public on Tuesday.

Rejoyn is not a form of digital talk therapy or an extensive library of cognitive behavioral therapy exercises, a form of treatment that helps people change negative thoughts and beliefs.

Instead, Otsuka Precision Health, the app’s parent company, compares Rejoyn to physical therapy for the brain. The app offers a six-week program in which patients are asked to identify and recall four specific emotions, such as happiness and disgust, that they see in a series of facial photographs. They must then determine whether those emotions match the face in front of them.

The activity is officially known as the Emotional Faces Memory Task (EMFT) and is designed to help patients strengthen the neural connections between the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which controls executive functions, and the amygdala, which processes emotions.

As users improve their facial recognition skills, they can move on to more difficult facial recognition scenarios.

Rejoyn appears to work by strengthening neural connections in the brain.
Photo credit: Otsuka Pharmaceutical

“EMFT is designed to improve circuits that have been shown to not function optimally in depression,” Dr. John Kraus, chief medical officer at Otsuka Pharmaceutical, told Mashable. Rejoyn also offers short lessons in cognitive behavioral therapy.

Although Rejoyn is now available on the App Store and Google Play, only patients diagnosed with major depression who are currently taking antidepressant medications can receive a prescription for the app, and patients must be at least 22 years old.

Rejoyn is considered low risk by the FDA. Kraus said the company did not see any side effects during the clinical trial, but as with any treatment for depression, patients should see their doctor if their symptoms do not improve or if they experience suicidal thoughts or behavior.

Rejoyn was compared to another memory task that involved shapes rather than faces. Those who matched faces improved their depression symptoms compared to those who worked with shapes. However, Rejoyn was not compared to proven computer-based treatments for depression, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which are often free.

Initially, Rejoyn will cost $50 for individual patients paying cash. For insurers, the price is $200. Otsuka Precision Health expects insurance carriers to eventually cover the app as well. Patients can get a prescription from their doctor.

They can also request a virtual consultation through the telemedicine provider group Wheel Health, Inc. through Rejoyn’s website. The consultation costs $29 and is designed to assess whether Rejoyn is right for the patient. After receiving a prescription, they will receive a unique code to access the app’s treatment program.

After the six-week treatment phase ends, patients can access the cognitive behavioral therapy lessons for an additional four weeks, after which they can no longer use the app. Kraus said patients may be able to get a new prescription in the future if their doctor recommends it.

Although Rejoyn has no performance focus, it requires constant and sustained attention. Each mapping task takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Users can pause their progress if they need a momentary break, but the session resets after 15 minutes.

Given the cost and time frame, patients should consider whether the app is best for their needs compared to other apps or treatment options, said Dr. John Torous, a psychiatrist and chief of the division of digital psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

He noted that most people stop using mental health apps within a few weeks of starting to use them, so patients may benefit more by choosing an app that they are confident they will stick with from the start.

Torous said patients are most likely to make progress when they use an app as part of their ongoing treatment with a psychotherapist.

“Pure self-help is difficult, but it is very important for success that your doctor at least cares about you and holds you accountable,” Torous said.

If you are having suicidal thoughts or are going through a mental health crisis, please talk to someone. You can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860, or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text “START” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, or email (email protected). If you don’t like the phone, you can use the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline chat at. crisischat.orgHere is a List of international resources.