Kidsave Ukraine Launches Mental Health App for Children
Kidsave, in cooperation with its partners in Ukraine, is pleased to announce the launch of an app designed to help orphans and children separated from their families access mental health support. Designed for ages 8 and up, iStrong is a mobile app that provides users with information and tools to help improve their emotional and physical well-being in times of crisis.
“Children affected by war often lack access to the psychological support they need,” said Randi Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder of Kidsave. “iStrong provides a lifeline, offering kids self-regulation techniques, mood tracking, and fun challenges that help children process their emotions.”
The Gamification of Mental Health
Research shows that we are more likely to develop positive habits and attempt to tackle difficult tasks if there is a reward waiting on the other side. This idea of gamification is the basis for iStrong and offers a fun and interactive way for children in crisis to learn positive coping skills and manage difficult situations. The app features a cute capybara mascot that guides the user along the process. As the user progresses, they can individualize the mascot by earning rewards and gaining fashion and accessories for their digital capybara.
Key Features
The digital capybara companion is just one aspect of iStrong. Its other features include:
- Mood Tracker: A simple way for children to log their emotions and track patterns over time.
- Self-Regulation Techniques: Practical exercises to help manage emotions and reduce stress.
- Gamified Challenges: Interactive tasks that encourage positive behaviors and reward engagement.
- Emergency Assistance: Quick-access guidelines for critical situations, providing children with essential support when needed most.
- Personal Journal and Resource Vault: A safe space for children to reflect on their feelings and save helpful techniques.
- Capy Fashion: A fun reward system allowing children to customize their capybara avatar with earned coins.
By using a combination of psychological support and gamification, iStrong presents a new approach to supporting children through a mental health crisis. It not only helps them manage their stress and anxiety in the moment but also helps them develop positive coping skills, resources, and a sense of self-awareness that allows them to better navigate future challenges. Safety and security are a big priority which is why all data within the app are protected with SMS verification, PIN codes, and encrypted logins.
There are thousands of children displaced within Ukraine, many of whom are orphaned or separated from their family due to the ongoing war. Their lives and childhoods have been upended, their communities destroyed, their futures threatened. This generation of Ukrainian children are facing a mental health crisis that will have reverberating impacts for generations to come if we do not intervene. The iStrong app is a way to put mental health resources in the hands of young people across Ukraine. If we can support the children of Ukraine through this crisis, then we can help preserve the future of this brave nation.
Learn more about our work in Ukraine and give your support today.
