Mental health patient launches app to help people cope with the Covid-19 pandemic

John Kirwan, has been a passionate advocate about mental health for many years, following his own personal struggle. “I had medical depression, I was on anti-depressants—I wanted to jump out of a window one night”, Kirwan explained in a interview.

In an effort to have a positive impact in this issue, he launched his company Mentemia, at the end of 2018. His initial idea was to develop an app to help people deal with stress and anxiety in the workplace. However, before the app was completed, the world was suddenly faced with the Covid-19 pandemic. And, as people were experiencing mental health issues caused by the pandemic, Kirwan knew that his app could help ease the feelings of anxiety and stress.

So, with the help of a team of clinical psychologists and using evidence-based methodologies, Mentemia was launched in New Zealand in April 2020 was selected by the New Zealand government to be part of the government’s emergency psychosocial response to Covid-19. The app was then launched in Australia and is free for all user in those countries.

The app includes methods to tailor the user experience to each user’s individual needs. Users have access to mood tracking features, breathing techniques, action plans to improve overall well-being and also daily reminders to take some mental-health breaks throughout the day.

“In times like these it’s perfectly normal to be feeling a bit anxious. Our goal is to provide people with the tools that will help them get a little bit better every day. Mentemia is about you finding you”, he shared about the app”, Kirwin shared about the app.

Adapted from: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/647930-john-kirwan-tackles-covid-19-men...
https://www.investmentmagazine.com.au/2020/06/aia-australia-makes-new-me...

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