An app helps schools screen children for mental health issues
Register for free and continue reading
Join our growing army of changemakers and get unlimited access to our premium content
The new platform provides accessible lesson plans around mental health
Spotted: According to the UK-based Mental Health Foundation, 20 per cent of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year, yet fully 70 per cent of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions. Post-coronavirus, this situation has only gotten worse, as mental health services struggle to meet demand. Startup Maro aims to address this situation with a platform that helps families and schools navigate tough conversations about mental health.
Maro was launched in 2020 as a tool to provide teachers with accessible lesson plans around mental health. However, due to the pandemic, the platform launched first to parents instead. The Maro for Parents app includes digital modules and an AI-powered bot to help parents discuss difficult topics with their children. However, with students back in school, Maro for Schools is officially launching, with 350 schools already signed up.
In addition to providing teachers with accessible lesson plans around mental health, Maro for Schools also gives teachers access to resources on tough topics like sex education and drug use. Importantly, the platform allows for streamlined communication between teachers and counselors, allowing them to coordinate on getting faster help to children. Maro can also connect schools to referral partners who are doing virtual care.
Unlike some other platforms, Maro doesn’t conduct virtual care. Instead, it helps identify at-risk children early and then connect them with virtual care teams.
Springwise has spotted numerous innovations aimed at helping people get the treatment they need. These include a digital anxiety clinic and lab-grown therapeutics providing new treatments.
Written By: Lisa Magloff
Mental health is a complex issue, and those in need of urgent help can find information about the services available on the United for Global Mental Health website.