Students facing complex personal circumstances and systemic barriers to opportunity need support services—like academic help, advising, mental health support, and career guidance—to persist and thrive in college. Yet those needs often overwhelm what college professional staff can offer. And the problem is only growing: The number of students seeking counseling has doubled in the last five years on some campuses, given increased rates of anxiety and depression, as well as decreased stigma when it comes to seeking help. That’s what prompted Grit Digital Health,to develop an app to help college students combat loneliness, a precursor to anxiety and depression, by building connections in the real world.
