Snapchat rolls out in-app mental health support in India

Mumbai: Snap Inc, the parent company of Snapchat, on Monday announced in-app support to its users in India who may be experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis or those who want to learn more about these issues in order to help friends especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Launched in collaboration with Mariwala Health Initiative and non-profit Manas Foundation, the feature called "Here For You" aims to help an overwhelming majority of Snapchatters in the country who experience feelings of stress and anxiety, the company said in a statement.

"We sped up the initial launch of Here For You in February because we recognised that in the wake of coronavirus, our global community needed support. We hope that the resources we launch today better empower them to take positive steps forward when it comes to wellbeing," said Jennifer Park Stout, VP of Global Public Policy, Snap.

Mariwala Health Initiative and Manas Foundation have created resources around anxiety, depression, loneliness, suicide and general mental health.

"Our videos discuss how to deal with stress and anxiety, how to support a loved one experiencing distress and ways to enhance mental well-being through mindfulness/grounding exercises," said Raj Mariwala, Director, Mariwala Health Initiative.

Snapchatters in India can access resources by searching for words such as 'anxiety', 'depression', 'loneliness', 'suicide', 'mental health' and 'wellbeing'.

The content covers topics such as ways to cope with mental health issues and how to spot signs in loved ones, as well as questions from the community, answered by clinical psychologists and mental health professionals.

"This launch is a unique opportunity for users to relate with mental health as part of their everyday life. We want to tell them that it is ok to talk about mental health and Snapchat and Manas are here for you," said Naveen Kumar, Trustee and Psychologist, Manas Foundation.