Our students recently took part in an exciting competition challenging young people to develop innovative, science- and technology-based solutions to support children and young people’s mental wellbeing.

Rates of probable mental health disorders among 6–16-year-olds have increased significantly since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were asked to consider how technology could provide practical advice, support and guidance to help young people build resilience and manage their mental wellbeing.

Our students rose to the challenge by designing and developing an app aimed at helping young people better understand and manage their feelings. Working as a multidisciplinary team, students took on a range of roles including scientific researchers, app designers and economists, combining expertise from different disciplines to create a well-rounded and impactful solution.

The app allows users to track how they are feeling, practise scientifically backed techniques to help reduce negative emotions, and connect with others who may be experiencing similar feelings. The students carefully considered how technology could provide accessible, practical support while encouraging young people to take an active role in looking after their wellbeing.

Their final app was well designed, intuitive and visually appealing, demonstrating an impressive combination of creativity, technical thinking and an understanding of the needs of its intended users. Alongside the app’s functionality and design, students explored the economic viability of their solution, considering how it could be sustainably developed and made accessible to a wide range of young people. They also considered how their solution could provide meaningful and accessible support for users from a variety of backgrounds.

From a highly competitive field, our students were selected as one of just 10 finalists, placing their innovative idea among the very strongest submissions in the competition and earning them the opportunity to present their work to an expert judging panel.

The students then presented their idea to an expert judging panel, delivering their presentation eloquently and confidently. They responded thoughtfully to a range of challenging questions and demonstrated an impressive understanding of both the science behind their idea and the practical considerations involved in developing a mental wellbeing app.

The judging panel included the Clinical Director of CAMHS South London Community Partnership, NHS Child Psychiatrists and Professors from Imperial College London, making this a particularly valuable opportunity for our students to present their work to experts working at the forefront of mental health, medicine and science.

Taking part in a competition of this calibre allowed our students to develop and demonstrate a wide range of skills, including scientific research, design thinking, financial planning, innovation, teamwork, communication, problem-solving and presentation skills. Most importantly, they showed that young people can play an important role in thinking creatively about some of the challenges facing their generation.

We are incredibly proud of the ambition, creativity and confidence our students demonstrated throughout the competition and look forward to seeing where their ideas and skills take them next.