AIIMS Delhi Launches ‘Never Alone’ App for Student Mental Health Support

Students will have 24×7 access to the app and can avail virtual and offline consultation offered by mental health and wellness experts.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has launched ‘Never Alone’, an AI-driven mental health and wellness app for students.

The app is designed to tackle stress and raise awareness about mental health issues. The initiative was launched on World Suicide Prevention Day.

Dr. Nand Kumar, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at AIIMS, said, “The app offers mental health screening at a rate of 70 paise per student and is accessible through WhatsApp.”

He added, “While the screening is AI-assisted and based on scientific criteria, the student can choose to opt for a consultation with a mental health professional after that, either online or offline.”

Institutes interested in availing the service can approach AIIMS Delhi. So far, AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Delhi, and Galgotias University in Greater Noida have opted for the facility.

Dr. Kumar explained that the app uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to clinically evaluate students.

“The DSM manual is used as a reference to identify a patient’s condition by matching their symptoms and behaviours against the established criteria. The DSM provides a standardised classification system for mental disorders,” he added.

He further said, “There is a lot of stigma attached to seeking mental health care, which is why many students do not want to seek help.”

The app provides a complete programme focusing on screening, intervention, and post-intervention follow-up for college and university students.

Students will have round-the-clock access to the app and can use virtual as well as offline consultations with mental health and wellness experts. The service costs 70 paise per day, which will be covered by the institute.

“To enable students to avail the facilities of the app, the institutes will have to approach AIIMS Delhi and subscribe to the service,” Dr. Kumar said.

“In India, as per NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) data, more than 1.7 lakh people died by suicide in 2022, the highest in 56 years,” he added.

He further pointed out, “In 2022, young adults in the 18-30 age group accounted for 35% of the total deaths by suicide. This was closely followed by adults in the 30-45 age group, at 32%.”

“Public health approach to suicide prevention argues for a major change in the way we think about suicide and its prevention, including an increase in trained mental health professionals,” Dr. Kumar said.

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