Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is reportedly building an app to help users with mental health issues. Incidentally, this is the first time TCS is building an app for users, not corporates. The IT and software giant is in talks with major hospitals, insurance companies and large enterprises to roll out the app, the Hindu Business Line reported.

The app would take a gamified approach to reduce anxiety and stress among users. Currently, the mental health app is undergoing clinical validation at a top Indian hospital, the publication said, adding that TCS is also testing the app’s usability by conducting a beta test internally with around 900 employees.

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TCS

According to Rajiv Thanawala, Innovation Evangelist and Senior consultant at TCS, the app aims to use a gamified approach, digitising existing clinical evidence to reduce anxiety and stress to create correct mental health interventions. “There are over 300 apps for mental health in the market; however, it is very rare for consumers to continue using them for a long time. Our gamified approach will drive usability and compliance for the app.” Interventions include games such as laughing so that a drooping flower revives or blowing clouds away to relieve stress. According to Thanawala, the app collects information to assess the mental state of the user every day and recommends games, habits and routines to alleviate stress and anxiety. In case the digital interventions do not deliver results, the app recommends users to seek clinical help.

Thanawala said the app has been receiving interest from many partners, especially in the field of medical sciences. This app could allow clinicians to monitor patients outside of the hospital or insurance companies to incorporate this application to reduce the stress and anxiety of their customers so they are less likely to seek clinical help.

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Vivek Balaraman- Chief Scientist at Tata Consultancy Services, said this app is a part of TCS’s division utilising quantitative social science for business applications. “This work comes under the ambit of a research area called behaviour business and social sciences launched 10 years ago. The aim was to take a multidisciplinary approach to solve a gamut of behavioural problems.”