ChatGPT Interviews Rahul, Zoala Co-Founder: Technology and AI in Mental Health and Schools
Prompt used: I want to do a kind of interview where you are asking questions about mental health transformation using digital technologies. And you can assume that I am a person who is working with digital technologies for mental health. So, I want to publish this interview, my point of view in one of the mental health journals. So, I am looking at those kinds of questions. And once I answer, you can help me to make sure that the scripts are good and then can be ready for publishing.
ChaGPT Model used : ChatGPT4o
Mode of conversation : Voice
Time Taken: 30 Minutes
Introduction
In today’s fast-paced world, mental health is a growing concern, especially among children and students. To address this, digital technologies are becoming increasingly vital. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Rahul, co-founder of Zoala, a healthcare tech startup focused on mental health. Rahul shared insights into their journey, the development of their mental health app, and its impact on students and schools.
Background and Motivation
🤖 ChatGPT:
Can you tell us about your background and how you became involved in developing digital technologies for mental health, particularly for children and students?
👤 Rahul
My name is Rahul Vijayan, and I’m part of a healthcare tech startup focused on mental health. Our journey began at NUS, where I was pursuing my MBA. It started as a class project with a group of friends, and we (Jeff Lee and Sharmili Roy) decided to turn it into a reality, eventually transforming it into a company.
This venture was also driven by personal stories, which I’ll share as we move forward.
🤖 ChatGPT:
You mentioned personal stories that motivated your project. Can you share one of these stories and explain how it influenced your work in mental health technology?
👤 Rahul
Jeff’s (CEO & Founder of Zoala) goddaughter, at the age of thirteen, suffered from depression. Due to stigma, her family was reluctant to seek help, keeping her condition unaddressed for almost two years. When they finally saw a counselor, the sessions were only once a month, which was insufficient. Without timely support, her condition worsened, and she attempted suicide three times.
This experience highlighted three key issues: the stigma and lack of awareness around mental health, the inability to get help when needed, and the challenges of access and accessibility. These became the core problems we aimed to solve with our company.
Addressing Key Issues with Technology
🤖 ChatGPT:
How does your mental health app address these three key issues of stigma, timely support, and accessibility?
👤 Rahul
We target two groups: students and schools. As a B2B company, we work with schools to implement well-being solutions for their students. For students, our app helps develop resilience, positive habits, provides a safe space to open up, engage in self-care activities, and learn coping skills. For schools, we drive well-being using a data-driven approach. Our platform collects data from students to help schools understand where problems lie, who needs help, and which well-being strategies to implement. This strategic approach ensures that interventions are targeted and effective.
Positive Impact and Future Plans
🤖 ChatGPT:
Can you give an example of how your app has made a positive impact in a school setting?
👤 Rahul
We are very proud of the positive feedback from students during our feedback sessions. One key highlight was that students felt they could open up and talk to an anonymous AI about their challenges, which they might not share with others. Students appreciated getting advice and help whenever they needed it and mentioned that our app helped them build positive habits like journaling. Students, being digitally native, found the format powerful as it allowed them to see past entries, reflect on their emotions, and express themselves more effectively.
🤖 ChatGPT:
What are the future plans for your app to further enhance mental health support for students?
👤 Rahul
Our future plans focus on enhancing self-care and risk management. We aim to reduce the burden on teachers, school administrators, staff, and counselors by incorporating more activities onto the platform. For self-care, we provide activities that students can access on their own, teaching them how to take care of themselves. This approach increases efficiency within the school system.
Regarding risk management, we aim to detect high distress early, such as suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and stress.By identifying these issues early, we can offer proactive support and care to the affected students.
Ensuring Privacy and Security
🤖 ChatGPT:
How do you ensure the privacy and security of the students’ data on your platform?
👤 Rahul
Ensuring the privacy and security of students’ data is a major concern, especially given the sensitive nature of the information we collect. We adhere to the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) from Singapore and the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) guidelines to ensure strict data privacy. All conversations between students and the AI are completely private. No one in our company, including developers, teachers, or school staff, can access these conversations.
The AI, trained with principles of counseling and psychology, provides empathetic and positive interactions with students. All data is encrypted end-to-end, both in transit and at rest, ensuring complete security.
Advice for Tech Startups
🤖 ChatGPT:
What advice would you give to other tech startups looking to enter the mental health space?
👤 Rahul
My advice to other tech startups looking to enter the mental health space is to start with a strong purpose. Our journey began with a personal story and a clear purpose, which drove our vision and strategy. Building a team motivated by this purpose is crucial. Create a culture that reinforces and amplifies your purpose, so your team and community believe in and support your mission. Secondly, don’t wait for everything to be perfect before starting.
If you have an idea that can help people, begin by developing a minimum viable product and testing it. Prototyping and iterating are key steps. The important thing is to get started and refine as you go.
Overcoming Challenges
🤖 ChatGPT:
What challenges have you faced while developing your mental health app, and how have you overcome them?
👤 Rahul
The hardest challenge we’ve faced is stigma, especially in Asia, where mental health issues are often taboo, judged, and biased. Encouraging people to talk about their mental health and ask for help has been a significant barrier. We’ve worked on bringing awareness and education to parents, students, and society, encouraging them to seek help.
The second challenge is getting schools on board with our mission. It’s not just about introducing mental well-being into schools but making it an integral part of the curriculum and daily routine.
Just as students study subjects like physics, chemistry, and math daily, mental well-being needs to be a habit and a culture. Schools need to take mental health as seriously as academics, developing it into a daily practice.
Measuring Success
🤖 ChatGPT:
How do you measure the success and impact of your mental health app in schools?
👤 Rahul
We measure the success and impact of our mental health app in several ways. Firstly, we implement a daily emotion check-in, where students report their emotions, the causes, and the people involved. This helps us understand the overall climate of the school, indicating how happy or sad the students are.
Secondly, we allow schools to send customised surveys to gather specific insights. These surveys can cover topics like sleep patterns, peer relationships, bullying, relationships with parents, enjoyment of learning, and satisfaction with school infrastructure. This feedback helps schools create targeted strategies, ensuring students’ voices are heard and the environment is inclusive.
Our AI engages with students to identify signs of depression, anxiety, and stress. If these metrics exceed certain thresholds, we notify the school so they can take a targeted approach to support the students.
Vision For the Future
🤖 ChatGPT:
What do you envision for the future of digital mental health solutions in schools?
👤 Rahul
Our vision for the future of digital mental health solutions in schools involves various stakeholders, not just students. We recognise that the challenges students face are influenced by their environment, including teachers, parents, friends, and relatives.
We aim to bring different stakeholders into the equation. This includes focusing on teachers’ well-being, as their happiness directly impacts their ability to support students. Additionally, we want to involve parents, ensuring they understand how to support their children’s mental health at home.
By addressing the well-being of teachers, parents, and other influential figures in students’ lives, we can create a more supportive and holistic approach to mental health.
🤖 ChatGPT:
Any final thoughts on your vision for mental health in schools?
👤 Rahul
Our vision is to create “mental wellness first” schools, where mental wellness is prioritized. By focusing on the well-being of students, teachers, and parents, we aim to help students reach their full potential in a supportive environment.
Conclusion
This interview with Rahul highlights the transformative potential of digital mental health solutions. AI technologies can play a crucial role in addressing stigma, providing timely support, and ensuring accessibility in mental health care. By prioritizing mental wellness and involving all stakeholders, we can create a more supportive environment for students to thrive.
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Rahul Vijayan
Co-Founder & Chief Operation Officer, Zoala
About the author Rahul:
Rahul Vijayan is the Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer at Zoala, where he leads the development of innovative mental health solutions for adolescents. With a diverse background in technology, product management, and tech sales, Rahul excels in shaping product vision and strategy to deliver user-centric solutions. His expertise in leveraging AI and data to enhance mental well-being aligns perfectly with Zoala’s mission to provide impactful and scalable support for young people.
