Mental health issues among young people are increasing. In a recent podcast, Sven Bremberg, doctor and associate professor of social medicine at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, and Marie Wieselgren, psychiatrist and national coordinator for psychiatric issues in Sweden, discussed the value of young people talking about their challenges with non-professionals who can listen and help. The ground-breaking Angelchat app offers just that.
According to several studies, the effect of talking and sorting things out with an understanding peer is equivalent to that achieved through professional treatments by trained therapists. The impact of talking to someone who listens emphatically is striking and somewhat baffling, says Bremberg. He also believes that it is essential not to stamp young people with diagnoses and burden the healthcare sector with challenges that young people should, to a large extent, be able to manage with help from non-professionals.
On a quest to help people find others they can relate to, Johan Bergenudd and Karolina Öman started the app Angelchat, to ensure no one would ever have to feel alone with their challenges. Since its inception, it has been downloaded over 100,000 times, with hundreds of users seeking and offering support daily.
“Johan had over fifteen years of experience in mentorship that had had a great impact on him and others, and I had had the opportunity to experience a lot in the care of mental illness before I most surprisingly received an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood. So between us, we had lots of knowledge,” says Karolina.
“We saw that a channel where people can conveniently offer and seek support for emotional challenges, such as anxiety, destructive behavior, abuse, addiction, and dysfunctional relations, was missing in the marketplace. Angelchat solves that problem by connecting these people who normally wouldn’t meet,” she continues.
“Those who provide support get an opportunity to turn their most difficult challenges into their strongest assets by helping others. This means that the app is equally important for both parties.” Johan interjects.
Angelchat’s core is the app’s matching algorithm that combines a large number of data points based on the user’s profile, demographics, and activity to match people who are most likely to relate to each other. The algorithm is continuously optimized and considers parameters such as frequency, time in the app, response time, and volume.
“It’s really inspiring. We have received thousands of personal stories from users, many describing that they had been unable to find any help before they came to Angelchat and that the angel they chatted with meant everything to them, even saved lives… although we are very careful to point out that the app is only for emotional support and should not be used in crisis situations,” says Karolina.
Unlike therapy, those who seek support get started in a few minutes by creating a profile and choosing one of the angels. Angels create a profile, in the same way, get to know how to best provide support based on their experiences, and wait for someone to select them. Users are only connected in pairs with members of the same gender, and the angel is always older than the applicant.
“You may not think about it, but what traditional mental healthcare offers is often limited to time-boxed appointments on a few occasions per month. In between, there is all the time in the world to feel lonely and uncomfortable. Angelchat makes communication asynchronous and always on – meaning that the person seeking support does not have to feel alone and can be in touch with their anonymous chat friend at all times.” says Johan.
Angelchat is a safe environment. Users remain anonymous and all profiles are authenticated. Angels are asked to verify gender and age and thus get a security symbol in the profile. Inappropriate behavior can be easily reported and the person’s account blocked. Should hatred or harassment be discovered, it is prosecuted through a police report. The app is compliant with the EU’s strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
So far, Angelchat is financed with the help of venture capital from well-known investors such as EVO’s founder Fredrik Österberg and City Dental’s founder Mattias Santesson, and the goal is to become self-sufficient within three to five years.
According to an article by Deloitte Global, mental health apps will generate revenue of close to $500 million in 2022, and the CAGR is expected to be 24% until 2027, according to Acumen Consulting. 55% of women aged 16-29 experience anxiety, worry, or distress, and 41% hide their mental health problems from their friends.
Media Contact
Company Name: Angelchat
Contact Person: Johan Bergenudd, Founder & CEO
Email: Send Email
Country: Sweden
Website: https://www.getangelchat.com/
