Mental health is equally as important as physical well being of a person, something that can't be ignored as this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on our lives.?
Yet mental health?is never spoken about, hidden behind stigma, ignorance or carelessness and it has the ability to do catastrophic damage to the lives of people.?
However, Wysa -- an app -- is trying to help ease people¡¯s mental health. It is making the most of AI in the form of a digital chatbot where people can talk about things bothering them for free while also offering an array of tools to calm someone when they¡¯re stressed.?
From helping people in stressful situations to meditate with calming and soothing music to giving the ability to communicate anonymously with a mental health therapist, the Wysa app offers it all.
Wysa recently won the Accenture Ventures Challenge 2020 for Responsible Technology category, and?we spoke with the CEO and co-founder of Wysa, Jo Aggarwal to understand what made her create this app and what was has her experience been like.
Jo shared how the idea behind the app came after they saw people in their lives being affected by mental health issues, ¡°We have lost loved ones to suicide and Jo herself has struggled with depression - our search for useful, usable help at this time showed us the huge gap that exists in current systems of care. This led us to developing Wysa as a response so that high-quality support is always accessible for those who need help.¡±
Jo highlighted how as of now, mental illnesses only look at severe mental conditions where issues of depression and anxiety are ignored by the system, ¡°Two-thirds of mental health issues start during the ages of 14 - 25. At this stage, most teenagers struggle with symptoms of depression and anxiety, but at a sub-clinical level. They are therefore left out of current systems which are designed to serve severe mental illnesses. There are no systems or standards to provide support. This is a high-risk age group, and every year hundreds of thousands of young lives are lost to suicide.¡±
She added, ¡°Our aim is to engage young people and other high-risk cohorts to start taking charge of their mental health earlier - before they show signs of a diagnosable disorder.¡±
According to Jo, the current treatment models are not only expensive but due to a high stigma, people refrain from entering treatment, however, with Wysa, the approach is a bit different.
Jo explained, ¡°Wysa¡¯s core mission is providing access to mental health support to the under-served. This is delivered through three services in a ¡®pyramid¡¯ of care services, using a freemium model. At the base of this pyramid, Wysa as an AI chatbot offers basic skill-building and resources for free, to people who are not able to afford paying for services. More than 95% of our users use this free service.¡±
She added, ¡°The second layer is a toolbox of evidence-based self-help techniques available on-demand, for a small fee (INR 300/month). For users who need more advanced support, the?Wysa Coach service offers access to trained psychologists. Here, Wysa Coaches offer text?messaging-based support through 5-8 sessions per month, plus unlimited journaling support?where users can leave a message for their Coach and get a response at a different time.¡±
Wysa has been responsible for helping people on its platform complete one million cognitive restructuring exercises that too in an affordable way. According to Jo,? ¡°This is an effort equivalent to the output of at least 2000 full-time therapists¡±.?
The chatbot harnesses the power of AI and machine learning to understand the troubles faced by the user and help in making them feel better in the most effective way.?
Jo explains, ¡°The AI conversational agent provides reflective listening with guided self-help techniques in a safe, anonymous space, which can be accessed 24X7 for free. Wysa uses evidence-based techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is suggested and approved by professional practising counsellors at Wysa for use in a self-help context, and by our scientific advisory board comprising of leading mental health professionals from around the world.¡±
She added, ¡°Those who need greater help can get a daily therapist support through live chat sessions, still staying anonymous if they choose. This blended support model of combining AI chat with human psychologists is unique globally. It allows for mass customization, where even basic services are tailored to individuals based on their preferences and offered at all hours, yet it can be built using robust clinical input to allow for delivery of a high standard, uniform level of care.¡±
Jo feels that the nature of Wysa¡¯s work is her biggest source of satisfaction, ¡°The fact that we¡¯re helping so many people. Also, the fact that we¡¯ve built a world-class product, that is now finding adoption with sophisticated partners across the world.¡±
She added, ¡°The idea that we can build a world-class product, a flourishing company, and at the same time, help millions of people. Our users are our biggest inspiration, and their stories keep us going.¡±