We adopted a widely-used “Top Problems” measure, developed by Harvard University researchers, into the MoodRing. The Mood Ring is meant to complement regular assessments and to focus the mentoring relationships on the problems that mentees consider most important.

MentorHub graphs weekly progress on the MoodRing for easy access to mentees, mentors, and programs . To accomplish this, MentorHub has incorporated sophisticated data collection techniques (e.g., time sampling youth’s moods, period assessments, automatic scoring, and visualization of data) which, aided by machine learning, can simplify and improve the capacity of programs to monitor and evaluate their efforts. Increasing the frequency, accuracy, and efficiency of data collection and analysis has potentially far-reaching effects (e.g., enabling early detection of problems and more targeted support as well as reducing the need for costly program evaluations).

Weisz, J. R., Chorpita, B. F., Frye, A., Ng, M. Y., Lau, N., Bearman, S. K., … & Hoagwood, K. E. (2011). Youth Top Problems: using idiographic, consumer-guided assessment to identify treatment needs and to track change during psychotherapy. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology79(3), 369.