19 Jul 2022

 Mental health, as an essential and critical aspect of life, needs to be taken care of to avoid consequential conditions.

Launching the Youth Spot, a mobile youth health application recently, reigning Miss Botswana, Palesa Molefe said consequences of failure to address young people’s mental health conditions extended into adulthood, limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults.

Ms Molefe said in conversations with the youth, it became clear that there was a need for an app that would relieve stress at the tip of their fingers.

“That will enable them to identify their emotions somehow and access counsellors.

The app is a revolution to move forward as a society to break free in mental health space,” said Ms Molefe.

The youth health application was developed by Stepping Stone International (SSI) in partnership with UNICEF, USAID and Baylor Clinic.

For her part, Stepping Stone International executive director, Ms Lisa Jamu said the use of mobile technology among the youth was high, hence they developed a mobile application to   reach them via health behaviour messages.

Ms Jamu explained that the Youth Spot application targeted ages 12-24 and dealt with mental health, preventative behaviour, psycho education, treatment adherence and support including opportunity to interact in a safe space in the comfort of their mobile technology.

“With this application, we are going to engage the youth to have a positive growth and provide them with activities and skills for life,” she said.

On the one hand, Baylor Clinic senior programmes officer, Mr Kenneth Katse said the application would also benefit HIV positive youth.

Mr Katse said the application would also be used as a networking tool, especially that since COVID-19, the clinic had been keeping to social distancing protocols and clients could hardly visit as they used to.

He said the application would also provide access to resources including the physical and psychological aspects as well as deal with mental issues, including counselling and encouragement.

He further said the youth would also get referrals for their situations through the application, including reminders to take medicine, exercise and keep a healthy mental wellbeing.

“About 40 per cent of the youth in Botswana remain unemployed and therefore to provide access to resources they need such an application,” Mr Katse said.

He also said the unemployed skilled youth were often associated with incidences of high drug abuse, depression, and therefore the application would be handy to talk life as well as make referrals in order to bridge the gap.

Moreover, Mr Katse said the young generation used social media a lot, therefore should be able to utilise it to benefit and find a leader in themselves and grow.

“The goal of the application is to support treatment, offer mental health support, promote positive behaviour and share challenges and social interaction,” he said.

Mr Katse thus encouraged the youth across the country to use the application and be effective at engaging it to have a great impact of their lives as part of their everyday life. BOPA