Nonprofit Helps Teens Find Mental Health Help On Social Media

Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,400 suicide attempts by young people grades 7-12. 95% of American teenagers have access to a smartphone and 13% of young people have reported attempting suicide. One non-profit is trying to connect kids with access to mental health services.

Koko is a nonprofit digital tool that helps internet platforms, like social networks and telehealth services, better support the mental health of their users. Through two key digital integrations- they detect high-risk content that could be detrimental to mental health and providing resources to users who are at risk.

While Koko initially started as a peer support app for folks experiencing mental health challenges, Koko co-founder and CEO Rob Morris, says the ups and downs in tech have brought it to a new iteration from the original vision he had as a student at MIT. Now a nonprofit, Koko meets young internet users at the crossroads between risk and harm reduction.

When someone searches for specific content on a social media platform like TikTok or Instagram, hoping to find information or content about anything from eating disorders to suicidal ideation. Koko steps in before this young person can find something harmful, with algorithms that detect and suppress dangerous content and instead sends the user a direct message:

“Everything okay?” the message asks. “If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. For peer support, self-help courses, and other resources, please try Koko.” Users are then redirected to a number of mental health options, all of which are free. Once a user ventures into Koko’s interface, they can explore a whole world of resources that are actually supportive, like online peer support communities, global crisis lines, and personal safety plans.

Koko is embedded across the internet, with the hopes of reaching young people wherever they are, and over two million users have engaged with Koko in the last year. Morris said “There are millions of young people reaching out right now on the platforms they use every day. Imagine if all the millions of young people reaching out online actually got help. We could create the largest mental health intervention in history.”