The duration of the illness and untreated psychosis sometimes lasts for years. Nguyen hopes the platform can fill the gap between realizing care is needed and actually seeking it.
“The impact this texting program could have on the general population is incalculable,” says an anonymous user of the program. “I know it would benefit me and I’m sure thousands of people would too. Many young adults and teens suffer from mental health issues because, well, frankly, the world sucks, and anything that is well researched and has been shown to be beneficial, things like this texting show will definitely impact my peers for the better. ”
The decision to get care can be overwhelming. Finding a vendor to engage with can be difficult.
“It’s hard to find a supplier point, right? And much less someone you trust,” Theresa said.
By signing up for the texting platform, users will be able to agree to a privacy policy and all identifiable information is encrypted to prevent tampering. No identifiable information will be stored so users can trust that their privacy is protected. For those seeking help, it may be the first time they have shared personal information about the trauma. For others, it might be the first time they’ve talked about navigating mental illness. The platform aims to provide users with knowledge and skills before their first visit, so they can move on to more help when they feel comfortable. Theresa calls it setting users up for success.
The constant presence of the texting platform is reassuring, especially at a time when healthcare providers are facing burnout due to growing demand for their service. “The good thing about the async bot is that it won’t burn out,” Nguyen said. The team is experimenting with user-generated tips and words of affirmation to provide a community aspect to the platform.
Interviewees who tried the platform indicated that the tool helped them feel validated, experiment with new skills and activities for their mental health, and find common ground with others. An anonymous user added his thoughts on building a community: “There are so many different people with so many different values and ideas about what solutions we could find. And I really enjoyed that, seeing that there were so many people. We are all different, but at the same time, we all face similar problems. It really helps.”
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