Study Shows Positive Reactions to PHCA’s You And App Design and Focus

On December 10, 2020, the One Mind PsyberGuide team developed and executed a focus group to assess PHCA’s you and App.  you and, designed by Phoenix House California, was created to provide students K-12 with a fun and engaging way to build resiliency in the midst of uncertainty. Prior to the focus group, participants were asked to create an account on the you and website and use it as much as they could before the group. During the focus group, students were walked through the website content so that each student had the chance to see it, and were referred to the website as needed throughout. For two hours, students gave their impressions of you and and its ability to support students’ mental wellness, provided feedback on specific features, and shared insight on how the app could keep them engaged. The finds were remarkably positive, finding that “students emphatically felt you and supported and would support their mental wellness. Students felt it would be useful when they are stressed, and that they could use it during their free time when they want to learn more about ways to cope.”

The report states that “students found you and inviting, personalized, and relatable.” “They (students) appreciated how the app welcomed them via its greeting and asking questions about themselves, such as how they felt and how they are doing. Students found this individualized approach refreshing and new and felt the app centered everything around each student from the name “you and” to how videos and themes were tailored to their age group to the wording and topics, e.g., Your + various aspects of their lives.”

Students stated that you and “makes you feel like you are at the center of the app,” and the you and app “is nothing like I’ve ever seen before.” Most importantly students reported that the you and “makes you feel better.”

PHCA is incredibly proud and excited to bring you and to students K-12 and remains committed to gathering feedback from users and applying it to the design and functionality of the app to make it fun, engaging and supportive. To bring the you and App to your community and find our more about you and go to http://www.youandapp.org

you and is funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.