App That Offers Support To People Experiencing Coronavirus-Related Anxiety

A new app, HearMe is facilitating mental wellness by offering peer-to-peer emotional support for people across the world.

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The Covid-19 lockdown in many parts of the world have led to people being forced to stay indoors and look for activities to keep them engaged. This has led to many struggling with fear and isolation during this period, who are now turning to technology and are using innovative apps. A new app, HearMe is facilitating mental wellness by offering peer-to-peer emotional support for people across the world. HearMe allows anyone to instantly text with an empathetic listener—trained volunteers listen to what members may be experiencing and want to be there for them. Unlike most of the apps, these are real people who want to help, never bots. HearMe is being used by anxious single mothers, doctors struggling with their experiences on the front lines, young adults living alone and many others. The free app can be downloaded from the iOS App Store or Google Play. In this lockdown period, HearMe has seen an increase in new users signing up to find relief. Over the last month, the app has seen a 250% increase in users in more than 20 countries, with India representing the 4th largest market for the app. Another interesting finding from their data is the wide gender gap in their user base in India – almost 70% of the registered users in India are men. Disparity in access to health facilities and related support for women, specially their mental health, due to various existing challenges, is a critical and real problem in India. Despite, increased discourse on the issue, it is never discussed in mainstream conversations.