Erasmus MC
App helps young people gain insight into their emotions and to develop healthy coping strategies
Challenge
Mental problems among young people have been increasing significantly in recent years. Researchers want to gain more insight into this by means of questionnaires. But how do you ensure that youngsters fill these in and that they do so with attention?
We developed the Grow It! app, an initiative of researchers at Erasmus MC. The app helps young people gain insight into their emotions and develop healthy coping strategies.
Solution
In the Grow It! app you keep track of how you feel, like a diary. This helps you gain more insight into your emotions, and learn to understand them better. You also get a fun challenge every day, which earns you points. For example: take a picture of a chicken (which makes you go outside). Or: send a card to your grandparents (which makes you feel good). In this way, Grow It! challenges young people to better cope with feelings such as boredom, loneliness and anxiety.
Young people participating in Grow it! are placed in a team with other participants. By choosing a nickname, you remain anonymous to each other. Chat with your team using stickers. Together, create a unique team tree and let it grow by earning points through the challenges you complete.
Impact
The data of the young people who use the app will be used for scientific research with their consent. There are three studies in which the app is being used:
1. Grow-it! Corona: for anyone between the ages of 12 and 25.
2. Grow-it! Sophia: for children and adolescents under treatment at Sophia Children's Hospital.
3. Grow-it! Mario: for children and adolescents with parents who have psychiatric problems.
The preliminary results are promising: young people indicate that they are more reflective and reflect on their feelings. Also they find it fun! The Grow It! app has been nominated for the Computable Awards 2021 in the Digital Innovation category.
We are currently working on a mood profile, which allows young people to see in real time how they have felt in different situations recently. This promotes self-insight.
Eventually we want to move to personalized prevention. So that we can offer someone who is feeling down a different assignment than someone who is in good spirits. The ultimate dream? To make the app available for free to everyone in the Appstore.
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Team
Info
Did we spark your interest?
Jan Willem can tell you more about it
Jan Willem
Co-founder &
creatief directeur