Mindfulness is top of your to do list

ㆍThe Asia Pacific mental health market is projected to grow by 17.1% until 2027.

ㆍPrioritizing mental health is crucial in startups, as it is directly linked to productivity and should be managed as a key human resource.

ㆍAcross different countries, various methodologies are being employed to develop mental health care apps. Awarefy(Japan), Share(Singapore), mabo(Republic of Korea), MindPeers(India)

In the rapidly evolving tech scene, where the startup ecosystem moves at breakneck speeds, the importance of mental health is often overlooked. The tech industry, arguably the fastest-growing sector in the world, can be a demanding environment, where the line between work and personal life becomes blurred. Even during the calm of the night, the next morning can bring a completely different reality, leaving individuals grappling with anxiety and other mental health concerns.

Despite the inherent challenges, the startup ecosystem has largely failed to prioritize the mental well-being of its participants. Caught up in the pursuit of growth, innovation, and profitability, founders and employees alike may neglect the crucial need to care for their own mental health.

However, the tide is beginning to turn, as the realization dawns that mental health cannot be ignored. The Asia Pacific region, in particular, has witnessed a surge in the mental health app market, with a forecasted CAGR of 17.1% during the 2021-2027 period. This burgeoning market reflects the immense potential for addressing mental health concerns through technological solutions. Globally, mental health issues affect around 800 million individuals, accounting for approximately 11% of the world’s population. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges, underscoring the urgent need for effective interventions.

In the Asia region, startups are increasingly focused on developing products and solutions that cater to the unique mental health needs of local populations. Often, cultural stigmas and taboos surrounding mental health issues have hindered open discussions and the seeking of professional help. By leveraging technology, these startups aim to provide private and accessible platforms for individuals to address their mental health concerns, empowering them to prioritize their overall well-being.

Your mental health care companion, Awarefy

Japan’s Awarefy app takes an innovative approach by integrating AI technology and psychological principles to address everyday mental health challenges. Through conversing with the app’s AI, users are able to explore their inner “kokoro” (mind/heart) and develop new self-care habits. Moreover, they can learn valuable psychological knowledge to cultivate more effective personal care routines.

Awarefy is built around Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, aiming to empower users to better manage their minds and emotions. The app’s AI assistant serves as a reliable 24/7 companion, providing a comfortable platform for users to receive personalized advice, voice their stressful experiences, and engage in direct wellness practices.

Users have turned to Awarefy’s AI chat seeking solutions to loneliness or seeking an impartial third-party perspective on their feelings. The app’s fine-tuning of language models like GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 enables the AI to provide tailored responses to needs such as “I wish someone would listen to me” or “I want to express my emotions.” Beyond merely offering repetitive answers, Awarefy also provides CBT-based app guides and programs, developed in collaboration with the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Lab(CogLab) psychology information site. This allows the app’s AI chatbot to deliver more clinically-informed and professional-level support.

By utilizing Awarefy, users can learn practical techniques to reduce daily stress and more effectively manage sudden emotional challenges. The app’s innovative integration of AI and psychological principles holds promise in expanding access to mental wellness tools.

Your Private Doctor, Share

While 3 out of 5 people shy away from seeking help, Share is emerging as the largest online platform for psychological therapy in Singapore. Through Share, individuals can conveniently connect with dedicated therapists, even maintaining anonymity if preferred.

The process of finding support on Share involves three straightforward steps: Select the specific issue you would like to address, spanning a wide range of topics – from addiction and anxiety to relationship challenges and trauma.Wait to be matched with an appropriate therapist.Depending on your needs, you can start the counseling session immediately or at a time that works best for you.

Delving into the available counseling topics, it’s clear that Share caters not just to major mental health concerns, but also the everyday emotional and psychological struggles that often fly under the radar. According to Share’s own data, a staggering 84% of non-clinical cases go unaddressed, as people suffer silently rather than seeking help.

One of Share’s key advantages is its unwavering commitment to client privacy. All sessions are HIPAA-compliant and securely encrypted, ensuring that only the client and their assigned therapist can access the sensitive information. The entire process takes place within the Share app, eliminating the need to use potentially less secure external platforms. Furthermore, Share offers counseling support in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. This language flexibility allows clients to receive care in their native tongue, fostering a more comfortable and enriching therapeutic experience.

By lowering the barriers to accessing mental health support and prioritizing privacy, Share is positioned to make a meaningful impact in bridging the gap between those in need and the help available. As the demand for convenient, confidential, and culturally-responsive mental health services continues to grow, platforms like Share may hold the key to empowering more individuals to proactively address their emotional well-being.

Breath is Basic of Mindfullness, mabo

The mabo, a pioneering meditation app, enables users to cultivate mindfulness practices with ease. While the concept of meditation may seem daunting to some, mabo offers a diverse range of options – from introductory exercises for beginners to more advanced courses for seasoned practitioners.

At the heart of mabo’s philosophy is the holistic notion of “wellness” – a state of being that transcends merely physical health. The app defines wellness as a balanced lifestyle, one that harmonizes physical, mental, and social well-being. In essence, mabo positions itself as a comprehensive mental health care companion, empowering users to achieve equilibrium in their lives.

Despite its user-friendly, character-driven interface, mabo’s meditation programs are grounded in scientific validation, drawing insights from the fields of neuroscience, physiology, and psychology. For instance, to cultivate improved focus, the app encourages users to redirect their attention to the present moment when faced with anxiety about the future or rumination about the past. It makes more friendly experience to first user. Through mabo’s guided meditations, users learn to become more aware of their emotions, rather than automatically reacting to them. This process of acknowledgment and acceptance helps maintain a healthy psychological state.

Looking ahead, mabo plans to further enhance its offerings by incorporating VR and AR technologies to create immersive “in-the-moment” meditation experiences. The app has already collaborated with Gachon University in South Korea, providing evidence that its meditation programs positively impact the mental well-being of college students. mabo’s achievements have been widely recognized an the “App of the Day” on the App Store in 2022.

By seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology, scientific research, and a user-centric approach, Mabo is pioneering a new era in which mindfulness and wellness are effortlessly integrated into individuals’ daily lives through the transformative practice of meditation.

Happy is Science, MindPeers

Hailing from India, the mental health startup MindPeers boasts a team of over 100 psychologists and clinical experts. They have developed proprietary tools to measure an individual’s cognitive capabilities – a testament to their understanding that mental health is not merely an abstract concept, but deeply intertwined with the workings of the brain. In fact, the World Health Organization’s 1948 redefinition of mental health aligns closely with MindPeers’ vision – describing it as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with life’s normal stresses, work productively, and contribute to their community.”

The MindPeers app serves as a comprehensive toolkit, empowering users to train and strengthen their mental capacities, ultimately enhancing their overall mental health. Leveraging machine learning, the app designs personalized curriculums for each user, providing tailored “MindShorts” – specific skill-building exercises that include neuroscience-based games meticulously crafted to train the brain’s perception-cognition-action functions.

At the heart of the MindPeers approach is a focus on developing and sustaining 7 key cognitive strengths in its users. This emphasis on enhancing mental strengths is based on the understanding that they are intrinsically linked to mental well-being – the more one’s cognitive capabilities grow, the greater the benefits to their overall psychological health. MindPeers’ learning pathways are designed to individualize the experience and achieve better outcomes, with a steadfast commitment to building and maintaining these critical cognitive abilities.

Grounded in the principles of positive psychology, MindPeers is dedicated to uncovering the true drivers of human happiness and applying those insights universally. As an innovative mental health care app, MindPeers aims to promote holistic well-being through the empowerment of its users’ cognitive strengths.