UWI AI app coming to help students improve mental health

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.

Shimon Mc Intosh, Managing Director of RBC Royal Bank (Barbados) Limited, commended UWI for addressing student mental health during his feature remarks at the Race for the Kids Launch. He indicated that funds from First Year Experience (FYE) Programme sponsored by the RBC will go towards developing the app.

“I was pleased to learn that this year some of the funds in the First Year Experience Programme will be used to develop a wellbeing app to further support students using technology they are more familiar with and I want to say kudos to UWI for keeping pace with what works for them, their student population and with technological development,” Mc Intosh said. (Loop News)