California is tackling the youth mental health crisis head-on by offering two free apps for families. These apps include valuable resources such as live coaching to help children, teens, and young adults.
This is part of recognizing how important mental health is to our overall well-being.
“For years, rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm have been on the rise across the country,” said Autumn Boylan of the California Department of Health Services.
This problem is particularly prevalent among young people, and California is currently working to help.
They are introducing two apps with free mental health services as part of a $4.7 billion initiative.
“All of these initiatives are about thinking about how we can provide services and support to young people in ways we haven’t done before, including over the phone,” Boylan said.
The app provides mental health resources and also offers live coaching with no income or insurance requirements.
The first app is called Brightlife Kids. Intended for under 13s and contains digital resources on common issues.
“For example, sleep, tantrums, problems at school, anxiety, sadness, organization, ADHD, etc.,” said Amrita Sehgal of Brightline, which developed the app.
“This means you’ll have access to content that’s relevant to the specific needs you’re facing, including articles, videos, audio, and exercises,” Sehgal says.
Help is available in 19 languages, with live coaching via phone, video, or chat.
“So this is actually a real way to get free access to mental health care and support kids not just when they need it, but before they need it, to avoid escalating problems.” said Sehgal.
Soluna is the second app. Applicable to people aged 13 to 25.
“So instead of focusing too much on treatment, we truly believe that all young people can access coping skills, build resilience, and even benefit from early access and intervention.” said Bob McCullough of Koos, the company that makes Solna.
The app offers self-guided resources, a moderated peer community, and live coaching.
“So many teenagers and young people struggle with mental health issues, but they don’t necessarily feel comfortable talking about it, whether it’s to their peers or their parents or even to other people. This gives them the opportunity to access resources on their own, at their own time,” McCullough said.
While these apps are a helpful step in the right direction, and several other states have implemented similar programs, they are not a substitute for professional medical needs, and the long-term benefits remain to be determined. Please note that this is not the case.
Still, this is a great step in the right direction, and one that is readily available to all residents.
