The world is facing a mental health crisis that has been growing for years. Young people are carrying an increasing amount of stress, whether it be from school, work, or personal issues. The financial burden of receiving mental health support is a major obstacle for many people, preventing them from accessing the resources they need. Even in wealthy countries, there is often a lack of support for those struggling with mental health issues.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this crisis. The global spike in depression and anxiety is a clear indicator that mental health needs to be taken seriously. The pandemic has brought on additional stressors such as social isolation, financial instability, and health concerns. With so many people affected, it is clear that something must be done to address the issue.
Thankfully, there is a reason for hope. Mental health awareness has been on the rise in recent years, with more and more people speaking out about their struggles. This increased awareness has led to a greater understanding of the importance of mental health, and more resources being made available to those in need.
With the current state of the mental health crisis, it's time for us to take action and make a change. Young people are shouldering an immense amount of stress and pressure, leading to dire consequences. The financial burden of seeking mental health support only adds to the issue, preventing individuals from receiving the care they need. It's not just a problem in one corner of the world, but a widespread issue that requires a global solution. The pandemic has only exacerbated the situation, with depression and anxiety rates skyrocketing. But, it's not all doom and gloom - there is hope. The increased awareness of mental health and the push for innovative solutions provide a ray of light in the darkness.
Together, we can create a brighter future for those struggling with mental health issues. We can provide the support they need to thrive and live their best lives. By raising awareness and implementing new, creative solutions to the problem, we can make a positive impact. Our project is inspired by this need for change. We are driven to make mental health a priority and ensure that everyone has access to the care they need. So, let's come together, collaborate, and make a real difference. Personally, we're excited to be a part of this movement and can't wait to see the impact we can make.
It's important to acknowledge the growing mental health crisis and the lack of support that many people are facing. It's a critical issue that requires our attention and action. Let's come together to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase access to resources for those who need it most.
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/opinion-canada-is-failing-on-child-and-youth-mental-health
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canadian-teens-mental-health-1.6759486
ZenChat is designed to provide accessible and confidential support for individuals struggling with mental health issues. ZenChat aims to create a user-friendly and accessible platform that offers a variety of features to help individuals manage their mental health on a day-to-day basis by providing tools and outlets while connecting individuals with the resources they may need.
The app also includes a "Resources" section, which provides access to a variety of daily wellness exercises and resources, such as crisis hotlines and support groups. This feature helps individuals overcome the financial burden of accessing mental health support by providing them with free and accessible resources.
Overall, the app aims to provide users with a comprehensive platform for managing their mental health. By tracking their moods, reflecting on their thoughts and feelings, connecting with others, and accessing resources, users can work towards improving their mental health and living their best lives.
We conducted a market research survey to gain insights from users regarding their experiences with mental health and wellness. This feedback was crucial in helping us identify the features that would be most valuable to our users and enable us to make a positive impact in their lives. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a platform that can help prevent crises and save lives by making mental health resources and support more accessible and effective.
Check out the survey!
Tech Stack: ReactJS, Python/Flask, Figma
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ReactJS: We used ReactJS as the main front-end framework for our web application. React allowed us to create a highly interactive and responsive user interface that could easily handle the data flow and component rendering for our chatbot and other features. It also made it easy to integrate different libraries and packages for specific functionalities, such as Material UI for the design components.
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Python/Flask: We used Python and Flask to deploy ChatGPT instances for our chatbot feature. ChatGPT is a large language model trained by OpenAI that can generate human-like responses to user input. We used Flask, a lightweight web framework in Python, to create a REST API that communicated with the ChatGPT instances hosted on the cloud, allowing our chatbot to provide intelligent responses to user inquiries.
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Figma: We used Figma for our mockups and our user testing! Figma was a huge part of our development cycle because it gave us an idea of what designs to implement and the user flow that was required.
You can find the Presentation HERE
You can find the Figma HERE
- It was Swapnil and Jasper's SECOND hackathon so there was a learning curve to a lot of stuff especially since we were aiming to build an entire functioning app
- We were primarily backend developer's because Swapnil didn't have that much experience yet, so we were always having trouble with CSS
- Connecting the ChatGPT instance to our frontend using a REST API
- Designing and implementing a chat feature, the styling was a huge pain
- FLOWBITE NOT WORKING!! I spent over 2 hours trying to get components from FlowBite to work (the carousel for example) and it just wouldn't for the longest time because FlowBite components are broken
- Solving page routing issues
- PROMPT ENGINEERING?? HUGEEE PAIN
- Being down our PM for over half of day 1 due to tests
- Learning Reactjs was HUGE! Super important technology in a lot of projects
- It was Swapnil's first time working with Reactjs and there was certainly a learning curve
- Kelly and Matthew got to practice their CSS skills and were still able to get a working app!
- Matthew fixed the routing and the carousel issues after 4 long hours 💀💀
- We managed to get a sexy looking app 🤩 (Shoutout to Jasper for the amazing UI/UX!!)
- First time designing a supportive app that's ✨functional AND pretty ✨while being down our PM during Day 1
- ChatGPT API works!! ( つ•̀ω•́)つ
- Using so many tools, languages and frameworks at once, and making them work together :D
- Submitting on time (I hope? 😬)
ZenChat has a lot to do before it can be deployed as a genuine app.
Matthew W is a 3rd year computer science student at Simon Fraser University, currently looking for a summer 2023 internship. He has formal training in data science. He's interested in learning new and honing his current frontend skills/technologies. Moreover, he has a deep understanding of machine learning, AI and neural networks. He's always willing to have a chat about games, school, data science and more! You can reach out to him at his LinkedIn, visit his website or take a look at what he's working on