What kind of phone do I need?

iOS

iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus.

Android

Samsung Galaxy: A50, A70, A70s, A80, A9 Pro, A90 5G, J5, J7 S10, S10 5G, S10 Lite, S10+, S10e, S20, S20 5G, S20 Ultra 5G, S20+, S20+ 5G, S21 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, S7, S7 Active, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, S9, S9+ Huawei: Honor 10, Magic 2, Play, Nova 5T, P30, Nova 3, Nova 4, P20, P20 Pro, P30 Pro, 8X, and 8X Max Google: Pixel, Pixel XL, 2, 2 XL, 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4, 4XL.

Please note the app may work on other phones but we are unable to support bugs or glitches if/when they occur.

What language options are available when using the app?

Urban Mind is now available in English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Mandarin and Cantonese. Urban Mind will always use your phones default language.

You can easily adjust the language via the 'settings' option within the app.

We hope to add more language options in the near future.

If I agree to participate, what information do I need to provide?

When you first use the Urban Mind app, you will be asked to complete an initial questionnaire about your age, gender, occupation, lifestyle and wellbeing. You will then be asked to answer questions about your current environment, feelings, thoughts and behaviour, 3 times per day over a period of 2 weeks. Participation in the study is private and confidential and your entries will be anonymous. You will not be asked to provide your name, phone, e-mail address or any other information which could identify you.

Throughout the 2-week trial, we will acquire information about your geographical location using the GPS sensor on your mobile phone. You can opt out of this feature if you prefer. We will also acquire information about your physical activity from your smartphone – your step count, distance travelled and whether you are walking, running or cycling. You can also opt-out of this feature if you prefer. We will ask for your consent to provide your geographical location and physical activity data when you first use the Urban Mind app. Your consent to provide this data can be changed at any time using the ‘Settings’ menu in the app.

At the end of each assessment you will have the option of taking a photograph of the ground or floor where you are standing and/or an 8-second audio recording of your current environment. These photographs and audio files will be analysed for research purposes and, furthermore, may be posted on our social media and used for digital art exhibitions to promote the project.

In order to participate in this study, we ask for your consent to our Privacy Policy. Please take a minute to read our Privacy Policy.

How will my data be used?

The data you provide will be stored on a password-protected server and used for academic research, in order to understand the impact of the urban and rural environment on mental health and wellbeing. The results will inform novel clinical interventions and the planning and design of healthier cities. The data may also be used for other research purposes in the future. The results will be published in scientific journals and presented on our web site dedicated to the project (www.urbanmind.info) and social media.

If I agree to participate in this research, how much time will it take?

The initial questionnaire will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Throughout the 2 weeks of assessments, you will be asked to answer a set of questions 3 times per day, and each time it will take you approximately 1 minute to complete.

What if sometimes I am too busy to answer the questions, or simply do not feel like it?

Once you hear a prompt inviting you to answer the questions, you have 1 hour to respond. If you are unable to answer within this period, you can skip the assessment and answer again at the following prompt. We would like you to answer as many assessments as you can, as this will make the data more informative.

Is my participation anonymous?

Yes. We won’t know who you are. We do not ask for your name, address or any other identifying information, and we don’t require your phone number or email address. The data you provide cannot be linked to you as an individual. For further information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Is my participation private and confidential?

Yes, your participation is completely private and confidential. The information you provide will remain with King’s College London, and may be shared securely with the project partners (J&L Gibbons and Nomad Projects) and other organisations collaborating on the project for research purposes. For further information, please see our Privacy Policy.

What if I agree to participate but then change my mind?

You can withdraw from this research at any time and without giving any reason until your final assessment. You can do this by clicking on the ‘Settings’ button in the app and then “Delete All Entries”. You can also delete the Urban Mind app from your smartphone at any time; however, once you have done this, you will no longer be able to delete your entries. After the final assessment, it will not be possible to withdraw from the study. This is because we are not able to identify your specific entries, as we do not ask for any identifying information such as your e-mail address, and therefore we cannot distinguish the entries you have provided from those of other people.

What if I do not want to take a photograph and/or audio recording?

Taking a photograph and/or audio recording at the time of assessment is completely optional. You can still participate in the study without contributing this content.

What if I submit a photograph and/or audio file but then change my mind?

You can delete all photographs and audio files that you have sent us by withdrawing from this research without giving a reason. This can be done via the ‘Settings’ menu in the app before your final assessment.

Who owns the copyright of the photographs and/or audio files that I have submitted?

You will own the copyright of the photographs and/or audio files you have contributed. By contributing this content, you agree to its use in scientific publications, social media and in public exhibitions related to the project indefinitely.

What are the benefits of participating in this study?

Your participation will help us understand better the factors in the environment that impact mental health and wellbeing. The results will be used to inform novel clinical interventions and the planning and design of healthier cities.

What are the risks of participating in this study?

We do not anticipate any risks to your mental health or wellbeing from participating in the study. Collecting geographic location and information about your physical activity can reduce the battery life on your phone slightly, so that you may have to charge it more often.

Who should I contact if I have other questions?

If you have further questions or this study has harmed you in any way, please contact the project lead:

Professor Andrea Mechelli Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK a.mechelli@kcl.ac.uk Phone 0044 (0)20 7848 0289