OurHerd powered by batyr

Mental health is amongst the top three most important issues facing young Australians, owing mostly to high rates of stigma, but YP aren't at the centre of decision-making for MH support. 90% of teens use social media, with the average daily time spent being 7h 44min, yet only 4% of wellbeing apps are designed specifically for YP and none are aimed at improving mental health literacy. Furthermore there is a preference for self-reliance by YP yet there is not a safe and trusted digital platform for YP to share stories in a non-judgemental and supportive environment. Step forward OurHerd.

OurHerd guides users to create and share safe, relatable and engaging stories about navigating tough times. YP can creatively express themselves through video, text, image and audio, before publishing their story to their peers. The app is designed to educate and empower users through impactful peer-to-peer storytelling. To achieve this goal, over 500 YP and 100+ MH Professionals were consulted in the research and design of OurHerd and 160 academic journals consumed. By amplifying YP's stories, their voices and insights can be heard by decision makers and together, we can learn to create a more mentally healthy and happy world.

OurHerd listens to and learns from YP. Through storytelling, we reduce stigma, increase help-seeking behaviour and empower YP with the knowledge and skills to actively lead mentally healthy lives. Excitingly using digital we are able to increase our reach and the size of our impact! Quantitative and qualitative impact data is collected as evidence of the key challenges facing YP. We measure levels of distress, barriers to help-seeking, internalised stigma and MH literacy. These insights will be delivered to the MH sector and government to ensure that YP are at the heart of the process when developing and implementing interventions.

Traditionally, social media platforms can be a toxic environment flooded with harmful and triggering content, as well as intentionally provocative or offensive messages. OurHerd is designed to first and foremost honour the safety of its users. Users are given control over the information they choose to share, including the option to remain anonymous. All stories that are submitted to the app are reviewed before they go live on the platform to ensure that they meet industry best practice for safe storytelling when dealing with such sensitive topics. The story creation workflow is designed to provide our users guidance at every step of the way in crafting their unique story, with tips on structure and language to articulate their story, whilst maintaining the importance of self-care throughout the process. The overarching goal is for the stories shared to have a positive impact for all users of OurHerd. If at any time a user requires direct support, they can tap on the 'lifesaver ring' which presents them with immediate access to a network of service providers nationally (Aus) and internationally. These help options are available in a range of different contact options e.g. text, call, online chat and online forums.