BoosterBuddy, a mobile app for youth dealing with mental health challenges, has been updated to improve the game experience, through funding from Coast Capital Savings.
Users are able to check in multiple times per day, schedule repeating to-dos in the calendar, and participate in enhanced quests.
“Young people are more likely to experience mental illness than other age groups, and less likely to get treatment,” said Lauren Fox, Island Health Clinical Lead for BoosterBuddy.
“With continued support from Coast Capital, we have improved the app to help young people manage their mental health.”
Youth aged 15 to 24 years dealing with mental health concerns can use BoosterBuddy to check in with their feelings, keep track of appointments and medications, use coping skills, and follow self-care routines. Users choose an animated ‘buddy’ who helps them through the day.
The app was developed with a design team that included youth who have experiences with psychosis, anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges.
BoosterBuddy was initially funded by Coast Capital Savings through the Victoria Hospitals Foundation and created in partnership with Island Health. The most recent gift from Coast Capital allowed developers to build on the positive feedback from both app users and mental health professionals.
Since its release in September 2014, BoosterBuddy has been installed more than 130,000 times primarily in the United States and Canada, and has been downloaded across the globe. It is available for free on the App Store and Google Play.