Although the COVID-19 pandemic concerns have nearly faded, it took a toll on the mental health of adults and children. The sting of the impact can still be felt.
Last year, the CDC reported that “according to the new data, in 2021, more than a third (37%) of high school students reported they experienced poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 44% reported they persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year.”
The Prosper app, a tool that aims to improve connecting youth with mental health support, while providing self-care tools, is a timely response. Pew Research Center’s survey findings revealed that 73% of parents felt “it is acceptable for children to have their own phone only after they have reached at least the age of 12.”
Using technology to reach youth through their smartphones may complement strategies to improve their wellness. Providing better opportunities for all populations to experience better health access promotes health equity. Improving the reach inside of diverse homes and neighborhoods is important in addressing health disparities. Utilizing an inclusive, non-invasive approach can synthesize efforts to embrace progressive ideas and improve outreach.
Prosper also gives users freedom to decide how to tailor it to best suit their needs and tastes.
“Prosper is anchored on the feature of a personalized daily mood check-in where the consumer reflects on how they are feeling, can track their emotions, and journal about that moment. Differentiating Prosper from many other self-care apps is that the consumer can privately share their check-in picture with a short caption to Friends in the app that they have invited in order to get emotional support. Additionally, the app offers an array of metrics for the consumer to track how they are doing over time,” Eric Sullivan, CEO of Uneo Health said.
The company launched the Prosper wellness app for youth and young adults. Sullivan added that specific to self-care, Prosper recommends educational and inspirational video content curated by the Prosper team of experts on various topics including anxiety, self-esteem, sleep, fitness, nutrition and prediabetes.
“There are hundreds of videos embedded in the app. Prosper has mindfulness and relaxation activities in the app to support the consumer,” Sullivan added. “Importantly, Prosper helps the consumer link to regional and national providers and nonprofits to support many health areas as well as resources to support housing, food support, and transportation. There is a moderated public community where the consumer can share their wellness journey with other users as well.”
Adrienne Mickler, Executive Director, Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency, Inc. said that the partnership between the Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency (AACMHA), the Anne Arundel County Department of Health (AACDOH) and the Prosper app began during the COVOID-19 pandemic when brainstorming about ways to support our community in a virtual world was underway.
Courtesy image: Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency, Inc.
“We understand that youth engage and communicate in a variety of ways, so offering an additional way to connect with our children and young adults was a great opportunity,” Mickler said. “Prosper launched in January of this year, 2023 but a pre-production version was tested in 2022 with high school and college students in Maryland.”
Mickler also stated that “in Anne Arundel County, Crisis Response services experienced at least a 20% increase from July 1, 2020 to June 20, 2022.”
Sullivan pointed out that the Prosper app allows the consumer to customize the in-app educational video content and other resources specific to the consumer.
Sullivan and Mickler noted that the app is not limited to youth and young adult users although the approach is to offer a simple, app-based tool that is more familiar for them to “keep tabs on their day-to-day wellness, build a community of support, and when they need help have an array of in-app and community-based options available for support.”
Sullivan explained that Prosper is available to anyone in the U.S. and already has users in 34 states, although the majority of users are Maryland-based so far. Anne Arundel County residents who use the app can find resources and wellness notifications through it.
Visit www.prosperselfcare.com to download the Prosper app. It can be downloaded by visiting Apple and Google Play app stores.
