Snapchat rolls out in-app mental support in India - “Here For You”

Snap Inc. launched a feature that provides in-app support to Snapchatters 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; “Here for You” in India

Mariwala Health Initiative and the Manas Foundation are the first partners in India, who have created resources around anxiety, depression, loneliness, suicide and general mental health.

A research conducted last year into how Snapchatters and their friends experience mental health, gave birth to Here for You. Snapchat found an overwhelming majority of Snapchatters experience feelings of stress and anxiety and that their friends are the first people they turn to when they need help, more than professionals - or even their parents.

Here For You will be available to Snapchatters in India from today. They 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. Each ends with further information on the Manas Foundation and Mariwala Health Initiative, and advice on how to contact a trained counsellor directly for help.

Here For You feature is part of a concerted effort designed to educate and empower the Snapchat community to look after themselves, and support friends who might be struggling with their own social and emotional wellbeing. Other features announced recently at Snap’s Partner Summit in June include a partnership with Headspace, new Snap Originals and expanded in-app

“At Snap, we have always been inspired by the power real friendships have in supporting health and happiness. Now more than ever, in a socially distanced world, we see friendship and connection is vital to our wellbeing. Here For You was designed to empower our community with resources to help themselves, as well as educate on how to spot signs in loved ones. It’s great to partner with Mariwala Health Initiative and the Manas Foundation to do this - organisations with a great wealth of experience and expertise in India,” said Jennifer Park Stout, VP of Global Public Policy, Snap.

“These are unprecedented times. COVID-19 has changed how we live our lives, how we work or study, how we connect with each other and more. We are collectively experiencing feelings of worry, stress, tension, anxiety, numbness, sadness - which are all routine responses to periods of crises. It is therefore crucial to have mental health resources available and accessible for those experiencing distress. Platforms like Snapchat provide a powerful medium to disseminate these resources. 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,” concluded Raj Mariwala, Director, Mariwala Health Initiative.