App to help put mental health first

CLINICAL psychologist Allan Sweidan and former Uber sub-Saharan Africa general manager and director Alon Lits have launched a mental health-care services app called Panda.

The launch, which took place at the weekend, coincided with World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10 internationally. The duo said Panda was built to bridge the gap between people in need and mental health-care services.

Sweidan, who co-founded and headed the Akeso Group of psychiatric hospitals, said: “I have always been interested in the challenge of making mental health care more accessible. When I met Alon Lits, who had previously managed Uber in sub-Saharan Africa, I realised that together we could create something very powerful – an app that provides different levels of mental health care and support.

“We were trying to cater for the more than 75% of people who experience mental health problems but have no access to care at all. Panda is a free-to-download digital application designed to put mental health information, community support and expert help literally in the palm of your hand. Panda serves as a triage system for people with psycho-social issues, and because you sign on anonymously, almost all the care you get on the app is anonymised. The pandemic has also taken a hugely significant toll on people’s mental health. Panda was conceived and developed as a viable way of responding to this growing mental health crisis at scale, not only through the digital delivery of support and information but also by helping to destigmatise mental issues.”

The app has five main features: the Bamboo Forest, where Panda users can engage with peers going through the same issues as them in an audioonly environment; the Chat Support, where users can speak to a registered counsellor a few times over 14 days; the Life-Skills Content, where users can make use of videos, exercises and easy-to-read explanations of how to practise mindfulness. The fourth feature includes screening assessments and ways to track your progress. The last feature is coming soon, Sweidan said.

Lits said: “In my time with Uber, I had first-hand experience of the massively positive impact technology can have on an industry, the economy, and, most importantly, on the lives of individuals and families. I am confident Panda has the potential to deliver the same positive impacts on the mental health industry as a whole and in the lives of millions of people. To celebrate Mental Health Awareness month in South Africa, Panda users can access the app’s features at no cost.”

Panda is on the Apple and Android app stores.