Associate professor of public relations Myoung-Gi Chon, Ph.D., has released SoliU, a free mental health app aimed at helping Auburn students. The app is designed to provide assistance by using tracking tools and daily guidance.
Chon created the lab in 2018 with a focus on addressing the mental health of college students, enhancing health literacy in the community and using AI to improve higher education. The lab consists of alumni and undergraduate students, all with majors ranging from public relations, computer science, business and design. Chon recognized that undergraduate students might not have as much professional experience so he established the lab to help train students with Auburn alumni.
SoliU uses an AI chatbot function that can help answer questions and support those who are struggling with understanding their mental health. The app can also track your daily mood and provide self-tests for insight into your personal mental health journey.
Chon realizes that we are living in a world where AI is everywhere, and that it can’t replace human interactions. He mentioned an experiment done by Harvard University 85 years ago that studied what caused the most satisfaction for human beings.
“They wanted to know factors which make people happier and healthier. The main factor was a good relationship," Chon said. “AI cannot bring good relationships with people, so in order to be happy and healthy, we need a close and quality relationship together.”
When Covid-19 caused teaching to move to online spaces, Chon developed issues with his own mental health. Around this time, he saw patterns of depression and anxiety in college students, which inspired him to develop the app to help them.
“In general, people do not have an interest in the mental health community before they are suffering," Chon said.
With a focus on helping students and the younger generation, the app offers evaluations to measure the extent of their social media usage. Chon believes that social media addictions are a large issue with college students, which can lead to students developing issues with their mental health.
Chon is an expert in public relations, especially with issues in crisis management. The app is designed to aid students in preventing issues before they become crises, suggesting that students evaluate their social media screen times and take a break to consider how it is affecting their mental well-being.
Unlike many of the health apps currently competing in the app store, Chon’s work is not driven by profit. Instead, his goal is to teach and provide research that can help and support students understand the issues they are struggling with.
The app’s self-assessments focus on six main factors: depression, anxiety, stress, social media addiction, loneliness and health-related quality of life. Chon believes mental health challenges are rarely caused by a single issue but are interconnected. Stress can contribute to depression and anxiety, while social media addiction can intensify feelings of loneliness and emotional turmoil.
Chon wants to ensure that SoliU is a free app that supports not just college students but also marginalized people in the community who experience mental health challenges. He understands that stigma remains one of the largest barriers in people seeking help, especially in collectivist cultures.
In collectivist cultures, individuals tend to prioritize family and community harmony over personal needs. In these cultures, mental health issues can be seen as shameful and reflecting of the group as a whole. Chon aims to reduce those barriers by creating a space where people can engage with mental health resources without fear of judgement.
“There is a social norm concept that people always check others' perceptions, attitudes and behaviors", Chon said. “Especially in Asian culture, that is more serious because of a collective culture in the society.”
Chon emphasizes that co-creation is very important as a society and that constant awareness of each other's judgements and views can discourage individuals from addressing their concerns. SoliU aims to become a safe space for students at Auburn as well as people suffering all over the city. If anyone is interested, they are urged to check out SoliU on the Apple App Store for a supportive and informative space to go to for mental health concerns.
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