TalkLife

2015-PEOPLE-DRIVEN-logo-v2-5-300x300Most stunning patient/people-driven online peer network

This category recognises the incredible value of peer to peer information, advice and support for people living with health conditions. You may have created a digital technology for peer support or be using social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter in novel ways.

TalkLife – is a mobile peer to peer support network with 30k users in the UK and 155k users globally.

We’re a fast early intervention that provides users a place to share in an encouraging, supportive peer led community at any time of day.

Website: www.talklife.co
More about TalkLife

While many young people are unwilling to seek professional help for their mental health struggle, Talklife has validated that youth are willing to embrace digital, peer support environments.

TalkLife provides a safe environment for young people to connect and talk about “taboo” issues – such as depression, self harm, and suicidal ideation – struggles that many will not talk to family and friends about, let alone mainstream social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

TalkLife acts as a “first response” for youth mental health. For many users, TalkLife is one of the first places where young people are comfortable enough to open up about their challenges. This represents a key part of the theory of change; the start of the healing process that breaks down the stigma barriers that are currently preventing youth from accessing public and professional services.

Digital technology is the key link. For most young people, smartphones are their key communication tool – a tool to give and get support at any time. Talklife gives them a digital voice for their mental health, and in doing so they provide us with invaluable data on the mental health landscape.  Daily we see thousands of users realise they are not alone in their struggle as they previously thought. They receive support and then often move onto supporting other users.

Now, our focus is on developing impact assessment methodology to provide measurable key performance indicators, enabling us to more accurately determine TalkLife’s impact. We’ve just signed an impact evaluation with Sheffield University with the support of Nesta. We are in the early stages of tracking and assessing large volumes of user reviews, impact statements, testimonials and our enormous data set to validate the positive change that TalkLife produces.

We have also secured a partnership with researchers at Microsoft Research, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts in what they’ve said will be the largest study into self injurious behaviours and to more accurately process the volumes of user data, and we hope that new relationships with Nesta and other like minded organisations in the UK will be able to work with us to ensure that using the right metrics. One user Milie said in her App Store Review “I really wish I had found out about this sooner. It’s amazing how comforting it can be knowing that other people are going through similar things as you. And while I’m surrounded by people who I may be able to talk to and mean well when trying to help, it’s not the same giving advice to someone unless you’ve been through it or know where they’re coming from. It really is a great app I would recommend it to everyone who is going through emotionally distressful times.”

TalkLife now leads the App Store for high traffic search keywords; depression, self harm, suicide and grief in the US app Stores and the United Kingdom App Store.

 
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