University of West Indies students will have a 24/7 mental health resource tool at their fingertips once the new AI wellness app is rolled out.
Speaking to Loop News at the sidelines of the RBC/UWI Race for the Kids launch on Wednesday, February 7, Dale Lynch UWI Cave Hill Director of Student Services and Development, detailed that the university was developing a mental health support app for students at university and higher education institutions.
“Students will have access to 24 hour mental health support in the palm of their hand. They can take control of their mental health and access support when needed, leading to improved overall well-being and academic success.”
“The App will also function as a triage system that will allow the mental health professional to prioritise those students who need major intervention. Ultimately, it will foster a culture of wellbeing as it will promote mental health awareness and support,” Lynch told Loop.
She disclosed that students will be provided with instant access to support resources, coping mechanisms and crisis intervention services. Through the SOS feature, students can request counselling services if they believe they are in a crisis situation and the AI will guide students to available options should counselling on campus be unavailable.
With plans to make the app available to the entire student population, Lynch remained tightlipped on its release date.
“As it is, we do have to build out resources but we imagine that prior to the end of this semester that we will be in a position to do so,” she remarked.
