Hopelab and Denver-based Grit Digital Health today announced a partnership to help address the rapid rise of loneliness affecting college-aged youth in the United States. A 2017 report from J.M Twenge* noted that self-reported loneliness among teens in the U.S. increased rapidly between 2011 and 2015, creating an urgency to the challenge. The two organizations will work together to find ways to help college students form supportive friendships and overcome loneliness to improve emotional health and well-being.
“Research shows there are significant health risks associated with loneliness in young adults, including higher anxiety and depressive symptoms and even a greater possibility for current and future suicide attempts or self-harm behaviors,” said Margaret Laws, President and CEO of Hopelab. “We believe that Hopelab and Grit are ideally positioned to tackle this important challenge, bringing together the speed of innovation and the rigors of evidence-based scientific validation.”
Grit Digital Health has designed several digital tools that approach mental health and well-being issues in a creative, relatable and accessible way. YOU at College is a digital tool, available 24/7, that personalizes well-being for every student and fosters self-awareness by connecting students to evidence-based information, campus resources, peers and opportunities.
“The truth is that the proliferation of smartphones, social media and video gaming is ingrained in young people’s lives, and the potential for decreasing harm and increasing benefit lies in how and why the technology is being used,” said Joe Conrad, Grit Digital Health Founder and CEO. “We are thrilled about collaborating with Hopelab and putting our collective team’s expertise, talent and passion to work to create a digital solution that is designed explicitly for positive impact.”
*Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen: Why today’s super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy—And completely unprepared for adulthood. New York, NY: Atria Books.
