Mental health diagnoses, particularly among young adults, are on the rise despite increased efforts at self-improvement and well-being. This paradox highlights the inadequacy of current strategies to address the psychological stressors of modern society. Working together with Redesigning Psychiatry and VGZ, I designed and developed six practical interventions to increase mental resilience in young adults.
Mental health diagnoses are on the rise, especially among young adults. This is a disturbing paradox because we spend more time, energy and money trying to become better versions of ourselves. We read more self-help books, see more psychologists and download more meditation apps than ever before. This project set out to develop new approaches to this societal problem together with Redesigning Psychiatry and health insurance company VGZ, offering practical strategies and interventions to help young adults cope with the inevitable stressors of society in 2032.
Delft University of Technology, 2023
For: Redesigning Psychiatry, VGZ
Supervision: Prof. Matthijs van Dijk,
Prof. Dirk Snelders, Dr. Ir. Nynke Tromp
Project duration: 20 weeks
Random examples from my daily life that resemble a certain attitude towards self-improvement.
Working with young adults and experts across Europe, including psychologists, psychiatrists, designers and philosophers, I identified six strategic directions and created fifteen design goals. From these, I developed a series of interventions aimed at promoting mental resilience. These interventions range from a smart wearable device that promotes mental balance, to large-scale volunteering projects designed to alleviate workplace stress, to educational programmes that encourage students to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. All interventions move away from the current notion of the self-help industry – that we must always improve ourselves – towards acceptance and building capacity to deal with the inevitable stressors of modern society.
I developed one of the six interventions into a prototype – an app that encourages conversations with those closest to us about negativity, without seeking instant solutions. Designed to challenge societal expectations that prioritise happiness and fix negative emotions as soon as possible, the app facilitates understanding and acceptance of all emotions as natural. Users learn to communicate openly, fostering a space where negative feelings are seen as part of the human experience rather than an abnormality to be corrected.
Testing the prototype with 52 people over a period of one month showed a significant reduction in emotional loneliness during a pre-post test study (p = .00116, T =3.67). Emotional loneliness is proven to have a major impact on our wellbeing and general health. My work was presented at the Dutch Design Week 2023, Milan Design Week 2024, and at various symposia, courses, congresses and events like the healthcare in shape symposium, the professorial dinner and the Hester Le Riche Symposium.
