System and method for assessing and improving a user's life skills and self-efficacy for life stage readiness

• US 9,728,101 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sheri Kemp Osborn
• Original Assignee: Sheri Kemp Osborn
• Inventors: Osborn, Sheri Kemp
• Primary Examiner(s): Frisby, Kesha
• Application Number:
  US13/871,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20140065585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 434236, 434238
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training

Abstract

A computer-implemented mental and emotional life efficacy development system and method are disclosed which assist lay individuals to measure and improve their mental health and emotional capabilities and life skill deficits to increase the individual'"'"'s ability to achieve life efficacy. A scoring subsystem measures competencies or deficits in a breadth of critical life skills. The system provides feedback concerning personality traits and mental and emotional deficits and compares the user'"'"'s scores to the scores of those who are successfully navigating a particular life step. This pinpoints deficits for which the user can receive training and treatment tailored to that user'"'"'s personality and individual difficulties. Through the collection and aggregating of such symptoms, a preliminary diagnosis is made of the user'"'"'s mental health and life skills. This diagnosis is subsequently refined before it is used to offer emotion and/or mental health care treatment and life skills training for life efficacy competency.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of assessing and improving a user'"'"'s life skills and self-efficacy for life stage readiness, comprising:

providing a life stage readiness application which includes;

a life skills measurement module, and

a reverse engineering diagnosis module;

providing a plurality of databases including;

a life skills baseline score database for storing a numeric scoring system for scoring life skill competencies, the scoring system including a baseline score for each of a plurality of preselected life skill competencies and a composite baseline score for the plurality of preselected life skill competencies for each of a plurality of preselected life stage transitions,

a life skills measurement database for storing data about the user'"'"'s symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s mental and emotional health and life skill competencies of the user, and

a reverse engineering diagnoses database for storing data of a plurality of human syndromes and disorders and other evidence of a human'"'"'s emotional and mental health associated with each of such syndromes and disorders;

using the life skills measurement module, collecting from the user via a user access device over a communications network data about the user'"'"'s symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s life skills and mental and emotional health and storing such collected data in the life skills measurement database;

assessing the user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition based upon the collected user symptoms and other evidence wherein such assessing includes, in at least one interactive session with the user via the user access device over the communications network, measuring a plurality of life skill competencies, wherein the measuring of a plurality of life skill competencies includes generating quantitative scores based upon the numeric scoring system of the user'"'"'s self-image, self-management skills, risk/reward predisposition, interpersonal skills, and existence or non-existence of one or more syndromes and disorders;

using the reverse engineering diagnosis module, generating a plurality of potential differential diagnoses by comparing the user'"'"'s collected symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s mental and emotional health with the symptoms and other evidence of mental and emotional health associated with each of the plurality of human syndromes and disorders stored in the reverse engineering diagnoses database;

ranking the plurality of potential diagnoses using the reverse engineering diagnosis module from most likely to least likely;

wherein the assessing of the user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition includes;

determining a composite score of the scores of the measured life skill competencies; and

comparing the composite score to the respective baseline composite score stored in the life skills baseline score database for the life stage transition, which baseline composite score is predictive of the user'"'"'s readiness or unreadiness for success in the life stage transition;

upon determining that the user'"'"'s measured composite score is greater than the baseline composite score, outputting to the user the measured composite score indicative of the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the life stage readiness application further includes;

a dynamic treatment module for executing a plurality of treatment programs for treating a plurality of mental and emotional syndromes and disorders; and

a life skills training module for executing a plurality of training programs for improving a user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition;

the plurality of databases further includes;

a dynamic treatment database storing a plurality of treatment programs for treating a plurality of mental and emotional syndromes and disorders; and

a life skills training database storing a plurality of training programs for improving a user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition;

upon determining that the user'"'"'s measured composite score is less than the baseline composite score, comparing the user'"'"'s scores for each of the measured life skill competencies to the respective baseline score stored in the life skills baseline score database for each of the plurality of measured life skill competencies and determining whether the user has a deficit score associated with any of the plurality of measured life skill competencies;

outputting to the user access device the measured scores of the measured life skill competencies indicative of either a diagnosis of a syndrome or disorder or a life skill deficiency;

upon the generating of a diagnosis of a syndrome or disorder, selecting at least one treatment program from the plurality of treatment programs in the dynamic treatment database for providing treatment for the first most likely diagnosis;

using the selected at least one treatment program, interactively engaging in at least one session with the user over the communications network to improve the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition;

guiding the user to input a value rating of the at least one session of the at least one treatment program taken by the user;

upon the outputting of a diagnosis of a life skill deficiency, selecting at least one training program from the plurality of training programs in the life skills training database for providing training to improve the indicated life skill deficiency;

using the selected at least one training program, interactively engaging in at least one session with the user over the communications network to improve the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition;

guiding the user to input a value rating of the at least one session of the at least one training program taken by the user; and

in response to the user'"'"'s rating of either the at least one session of the at least one treatment program or the at least one session of the at least one training program, reassessing the user'"'"'s most likely diagnosis from the plurality of differential diagnoses generated by said application and reassessing the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual baseline score for each of the plurality of life skill competencies and the composite baseline score for the plurality of life stage transitions are heuristically determined based upon aggregate scores gathered from all users of the method that report success for the particular life stage transition for which the baseline scores are determined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of ranking comprises:

ranking and prioritizing the plurality of generated potential differential diagnoses by a plurality of inclusionary/inclusionary features wherein such features include the presence or absence of a traumatic event.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of collecting from the user and storing in the life skills measurement database further comprises:

collecting evidence of the user'"'"'s personality in order to determine the user'"'"'s personality type; and

the method further comprises;

upon the at least one treatment program being selected, customizing the at least one treatment program for the user'"'"'s personality type developed from the collected evidence and

upon the at least one training program being selected, customizing the at least one training program for the user'"'"'s personality type developed from the collected evidence.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

assessing whether the at least one session of the at least one treatment program engaged by the user results in negative user emotions; and

upon receiving feedback from the user of negative user emotions resulting from the user'"'"'s engagement with the at least one treatment program, guiding the user to an emotional care program for overcoming or reducing the user'"'"'s negative emotions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

using the feedback received from the user to refine the selected at least one treatment program to improve the efficacy of future sessions of the refined at least one treatment program thereby dynamically customizing the user'"'"'s treatment to the user'"'"'s individual needs and personality.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

assessing whether the at least one session of the at least one treatment program engaged in by the user results in negative user emotions; and

upon detecting negative user emotions, guiding the user to an emotion care module for evaluating the intensity of the user'"'"'s negative emotions;

upon the emotion care module receiving feedback from the user of high intensity negative emotions, directing the user to one of a plurality of virtual rooms having a plurality of simulations for overcoming or reducing the user'"'"'s negative emotions wherein the virtual room to which the user is directed depends on the type of negative emotion detected;

using the emotion care module, displaying the selected virtual room over the communications network within a graphical user interface on the screen of the user'"'"'s access device to permit the user to interactively engage with the plurality of simulations contained in the selected virtual room environment to reduce the type of negative emotion detected.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

if a second treatment program is selected, using the feedback from the user to refine the second treatment program to improve the efficacy of any future sessions of the refined second treatment program.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using a personality neutral and nonjudgmental avatar projected on the graphical user interface of the user'"'"'s access device, making suggestions to the user to improve his life skill competencies for the particular life stage transition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of making suggestions further comprises:

guiding the user through a defined process that includes the creation of goals, tasks, and milestones.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of guiding the user comprises:

periodically outputting reminders of goals, tasks, and milestones over a communications network to the user'"'"'s personal digital assistant to reinforce the steps to be taken by the user to improve the user'"'"'s life skill competencies for a particular life stage transition.

13. A system for assessing and improving a user'"'"'s life skills and self-efficacy for life stage readiness, the computer system comprising:

at least one storage device for storing code data in a plurality of databases including;

a life skills baseline score database for storing a numeric scoring system for scoring life skill competencies, the scoring system including a baseline score for each of a plurality of preselected life skill competencies and a composite baseline score for the plurality of preselected life skill competencies for each of a plurality of preselected life stage transitions,

a life skills measurement database for storing data about the user'"'"'s symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s mental and emotional health and life skill competencies of the user, and

a reverse engineering diagnoses database for storing data of a plurality of human syndromes and disorders and other evidence of a human'"'"'s emotional and mental health associated with each of such syndromes and disorders; and

at least one processor in communication with the at least one storage device wherein the at least one storage device has stored thereon at least one program for controlling the processor for processing the code data to;

collect from the user via a user access device over a communications network and store in the life skills measurement database in communication with the processor code data about the user'"'"'s symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s emotional and mental health and life skills;

assess the user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition based upon the collected user symptoms and other evidence wherein such assessing includes, in at least one interactive session with the user via the user access device over the communications network, measuring a plurality of life skill competencies wherein the measuring of a plurality of life skill competencies includes generating quantitative scores based upon the numeric scoring system of the user'"'"'s self-image, self-management skills, risk/reward predisposition, interpersonal skills, and existence or non-existence of one or more syndromes and disorders;

generate a plurality of potential differential diagnoses by comparing the user collected symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s mental and emotional health with the symptoms and other evidence of mental and emotional health associated with the human syndromes and disorders stored in the reverse engineering diagnosis database;

rank the plurality of potential diagnoses from most likely to least likely;

wherein the assessing of the user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition includes;

determining a composite score of the scores of the measured life skill competencies; and

comparing the composite score to the respective baseline composite score stored in the life skills baseline score database for the life stage transition, which baseline composite score is predictive of the user'"'"'s readiness or unreadiness for success in the life stage transition;

upon determining that the user'"'"'s measured composite score is greater than the baseline composite score, output to the user the measured composite score indicative of the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transaction.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of databases further includes;

a dynamic treatment database storing a plurality of treatment programs for treating a plurality of mental and emotional syndromes and disorders; and

a life skills training database storing a plurality of training programs for improving a user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition;

the at least one processor is further operative to execute the code data to;

upon determining that the user'"'"'s measured composite score is less than the baseline composite score to compare the user'"'"'s scores for each of the measured life skill competencies to the respective baseline score stored in the life skills baseline score database for each of the plurality of measured life skill competencies and determining whether the user has a deficit score associated with any of the plurality of measured life skill competencies;

output to the user access device the measured scores of the at least measured life skill competencies indicative of either a diagnosis of a syndrome or disorder or a life skill deficiency;

upon the generating of a diagnosis of a syndrome or disorder, select at least one treatment program from the plurality of treatment programs in the dynamic treatment database for providing treatment for the first most likely diagnosis;

using the selected at least one treatment program, interactively engage in at least one session with the user over the communications network to improve the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition;

guide the user to input a value rating of the at least one session of the at least one treatment program taken by the user;

upon the generating of a diagnosis of a life skill deficiency, select at least one training program from the plurality of training programs in the life skills training database for providing training to improve the indicated life skill deficiency;

using the selected at least one training program, interactively engage in at least one session with the user over the communications network to improve the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition;

guide the user to input a value rating of the at least one session of the at least one training program taken by the user; and

in response to the user'"'"'s rating of either the at least one session of the at least one treatment program or the at least one session of the at least one training program, reassess the user'"'"'s most likely diagnosis from the plurality of differential diagnoses generated by said application and reassess the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the individual baseline score for each of the plurality of life skill competencies and the composite baseline score for the plurality of life stage transitions are heuristically determined based upon aggregate scores gathered from all users of the method that report success for the particular life stage transition for which the baseline scores are determined.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein ranking comprises:

ranking and prioritizing the plurality of generated potential differential diagnoses by a plurality of inclusionary/inclusionary features wherein such features include the presence or absence of a traumatic event.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein:

collecting from the user and storing in the life skills database further comprises collecting evidence of the user'"'"'s personality in order to determine the user'"'"'s personality type; and

the at least one processor is further operative to execute the code data to;

customize, upon the at least one treatment program being selected, the at least one treatment program for the user'"'"'s personality type developed from the collected evidence; and

customize, upon the at least one training program being selected, the at least one training program for the user'"'"'s personality type developed from the collected evidence.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to execute the code data to:

assess whether the at least one session of the at least one treatment program engaged by the user results in negative user emotions; and

upon receiving feedback from the user of negative user emotions resulting from the user'"'"'s engagement with the at least one treatment program, guide the user to an emotional care program for overcoming or reducing the user'"'"'s negative emotions.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to execute the code data to:

use the feedback received from the user to refine the selected at least one treatment program to improve the efficacy of future sessions of the refined at least one treatment program thereby dynamically customizing the user'"'"'s treatment to the user'"'"'s individual needs and personality.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to execute the code data to:

assess whether the at least one session of the at least one treatment program engaged by the user results in negative user emotions; and

upon detecting negative user emotions, evaluate the intensity of the user'"'"'s negative emotions;

upon receiving feedback from the user of high intensity negative user emotions, direct the user to one of a plurality of virtual rooms having a plurality of simulations for overcoming or reducing the user'"'"'s negative emotions wherein the virtual room to which the user is directed depends on the type of negative emotion detected;

display the selected virtual room over the communications network within a graphical user interface on a screen of the user'"'"'s access device to permit the user to interactively engage with the plurality of simulations executed in the selected virtual room environment to reduce the type of negative emotion detected.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to execute the code data to:

use, if a second treatment program is selected, the feedback from the user to refine the second treatment program to improve the efficacy of any future sessions of the refined second treatment program.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to execute the code data to:

using a personality neutral and nonjudgmental avatar projected in a graphical user interface on the screen of the user'"'"'s access device, make suggestions to the user to improve his life skill competencies for the particular life stage transition.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein making suggestions further comprises:

guiding the user through a defined process that includes the creation of goals, tasks, and milestones.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the guiding the user comprises:

periodically outputting reminders of goals, tasks, and milestones over a communications network to the user'"'"'s personal digital assistant to reinforce the steps to be taken by the user to improve the user'"'"'s life skill competencies for a particular life stage transition.

25. A computer program code embodied in a computer-readable device for assessing and improving a user'"'"'s life skills and self-efficacy for life stage readiness, the computer program code comprising processor executable instructions of a life stage readiness application which includes:

a life skills measurement module, and

a reverse engineering diagnosis module; and

a plurality of databases including;

a life skills baseline score database for storing a numeric scoring system for scoring life skill competencies, the scoring system including a baseline score for each of a plurality of preselected life skill competencies and a composite baseline score for the plurality of preselected life skill competencies for each of a plurality of preselected life stage transitions,

a life skills measurement database for storing data about the user'"'"'s symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s mental and emotional health and life skill competencies of the user, and

a reverse engineering diagnoses database for storing data of a plurality of human syndromes and disorders and other evidence of a human'"'"'s emotional and mental health associated with each of such syndromes and disorders;

for;

collecting from the user and storing in the life skills measurement database user symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s life skills and emotional and mental health;

assessing the user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition based upon the collected user symptoms and other evidence wherein such assessing includes, in at least one interactive session with the user, measuring a plurality of life skill competencies wherein the measuring of a plurality of life skill competencies includes generating quantitative scores based upon the numeric scoring system of the user'"'"'s self-image, self-management skills, risk/reward predisposition, interpersonal skills, and existence or non-existence of one or more syndromes and disorders;

generating a plurality of potential differential diagnoses by comparing the user'"'"'s collected symptoms and other evidence of the user'"'"'s mental and emotional health with the symptoms and other evidence of mental and emotional health associated with each of the plurality of human syndromes and disorders stored in the reverse engineering diagnoses database;

ranking the plurality of potential diagnoses from most likely to least likely;

wherein the assessing of the user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition includes;

determining a composite score of the scores of the measured life skill competencies; and

comparing the composite score to the respective baseline composite score stored in the life skills baseline score database for the life stage transition, which baseline composite score is predictive of the user'"'"'s readiness or unreadiness for success in the life stage transition;

upon determining that the user'"'"'s measured composite score is greater than the baseline composite score, outputting to the user the measured composite score indicative of the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transaction.

26. The computer program code of claim 25, wherein:

the application further includes;

a dynamic treatment module for executing a plurality of treatment programs for treating a plurality of mental and emotional syndromes and disorders; and

a life skills training module for executing a plurality of training programs for improving a user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition;

the plurality of databases further includes;

a dynamic treatment database storing a plurality of treatment programs for treating a plurality of mental and emotional syndromes and disorders; and

a life skills training database storing a plurality of training programs for improving a user'"'"'s readiness for a life stage transition; and

upon determining that the user'"'"'s measured composite score is less than the baseline composite score, comparing the user'"'"'s scores for each of the measured life skill competencies to the respective baseline score stored in the life skills baseline score database for each of the plurality of measured life skill competencies and determining whether the user has a deficit score associated with any of the plurality of measured life skill competencies;

outputting to the user access device the measured scores of the at least measured life skill competencies indicative of either a diagnosis of a syndrome or disorder or a life skill deficiency;

upon the generating of a diagnosis of a syndrome or disorder, selecting at least one treatment program from the plurality of treatment programs in the dynamic treatment database for providing treatment for the first most likely diagnosis;

using the selected at least one treatment program, interactively engaging in at least one session with the user to improve the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition;

guiding the user to input a value rating of the at least one session of the at least one treatment program taken by the user;

upon the generating of a diagnosis of a life skill deficiency, selecting at least one training program from the plurality of training programs in the life skills training database for providing training to improve the indicated life skill deficiency;

using the selected at least one training program, interactively engaging in at least one session with the user over the communications network to improve the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition;

guiding the user to input a value rating of the at least one session of the at least one training program taken by the user; and

in response to the user'"'"'s rating of either the at least one session of the at least one treatment program or the at least one session of the at least one training program, reassessing the user'"'"'s most likely diagnosis from the plurality of differential diagnoses generated by said application and reassessing the user'"'"'s readiness for the life stage transition.

27. The computer program code of claim 25, wherein the individual baseline score for each of the plurality of life skill competencies and the composite baseline score for the plurality of life stage transitions are heuristically determined based upon aggregate scores gathered from all users of the method that report success for the particular life stage transition for which the baseline scores are determined.

28. The computer program code of claim 25, wherein ranking comprises:

ranking and prioritizing the plurality of generated potential differential diagnoses by a plurality of inclusionary/inclusionary features wherein such features include the presence or absence of a traumatic event.

29. The computer program code of claim 25, wherein collecting from the user and storing in the life skills measurement database further comprises:

collecting evidence of the user'"'"'s personality in order to determine the user'"'"'s personality type; and

the method further comprises;

upon the at least one treatment program being selected, customizing the at least one treatment program for the user'"'"'s personality type developed from the collected evidence; and

upon the at least one training program being selected, customizing the at least one training program for the user'"'"'s personality type developed from the collected evidence.

30. The computer program code of claim 29, wherein the computer program code executes processes executable instructions for:

assessing whether the at least one session of the at least one treatment program engaged by the user results in negative user emotions; and

upon receiving feedback from the user of negative user emotions resulting from the user'"'"'s engagement with the at least one treatment program, guiding the user to an emotional care program for overcoming or reducing the user'"'"'s negative emotions.

31. The computer program code of claim 30, wherein the computer program code executes processes executable instructions for:

using the feedback received from the user to refine the at least one treatment program to improve the efficacy of future sessions of the refined at least one treatment program thereby dynamically customizing the user'"'"'s treatment to the user'"'"'s individual needs and personality.

32. The computer program code of claim 31, wherein the computer program code executes processes executable instructions for:

assessing whether the at least one session of the at least one treatment program engaged in by the user results in negative user emotions; and

upon detecting negative user emotions, guiding the user to an emotion care module for evaluating the intensity of the user'"'"'s negative emotions;

upon receiving feedback from the user of high intensity negative user emotions, directing the use to one of a plurality of virtual rooms having a plurality of simulations for overcoming or reducing the user'"'"'s negative emotions wherein the virtual room to which the user is directed depends on the type of negative emotion detected; and

using the emotion care module, displaying the selected virtual room over the communications network within a graphical user interface on the screen of the user'"'"'s access device to permit the user to interactively engage with the plurality of simulations contained in the selected virtual room environment to reduce the type of negative emotion detected.

33. The computer program code of claim 32, wherein the computer program code executes processes executable instructions for:

if a second treatment program is selected, using the feedback from the user to refine the second treatment program to improve the efficacy of any future sessions of the refined second treatment program.

34. The computer program code of claim 25, wherein the computer program code executes processes executable instructions for:

using a personality neutral and nonjudgmental avatar projected on the graphical user interface of the user'"'"'s access device, making suggestions to the user to improve his life skill competencies for the particular life stage transition.

35. The computer program code of claim 25, wherein making suggestions further comprises:

guiding the user through a defined process that includes the creation of goals, tasks, and milestones.

36. The computer program code of claim 25, wherein guiding the user comprises:

periodically outputting reminders of goals, tasks, and milestones to the user'"'"'s personal digital assistant to reinforce the steps to be taken by the user to improve the user'"'"'s life skill competencies for a particular life stage transition.