MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name

Auxilium

One-line solution summary.

This nonprofit organization will offer psychological support through its website and social media, providing people of every age a helpful tool to look after their mental health.

What is your solution?

Auxilium will be a nonprofit used by people -especially teenagers- to look after their mental health. It will work on a volunteering basis: real psychologists and lawyers will volunteer their time to answer common concerns; the information collected will then be posted on the nonprofit's website and social media page.

What specific problem are you trying to solve?

Between 1999 and 2019, suicides rates increased by 35.2%. Many suicides happen because of poor mental health and, subsequently, lack of psychological support. According to a survey conducted in 2020, almost 60 million Americans have no access to therapy and 33% of those who do on a global scale can't afford it. However, many more are struggling or have struggled with mental health issues, especially during puberty.

Who does your solution serve? In what ways will the solution impact their lives?

Auxilium not only wants to help those affected by psychological problems, but also those people who would like a professional answer to their doubts and concerns. This includes teens: this is why a section of the website will be designated especially for them, and it will cover many topics that, due to personal or financial issues, adolescents aren't properly informed about.

What steps have you taken to understand the needs of the population you want to serve?

I surveyed students at my school and friends my age: 83% of them suffer from stress on a daily basis, 27,5% of them have thought at least once about committing suicide, 6% of them know at least one person who committed suicide and almost 90% of them said they would find a tool like Auxilium to be very useful.

Which aspects of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Improving healthcare access and health outcomes; and reducing and ultimately eliminating health disparities (Health)

Our solution's stage of development:

Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution—in other words, what have you accomplished to date?

We are currently building and designing the website and the social media account. In the meantime, we have already designed the logo, promoted our service in three different international schools, and collected some information by interviewing some psychologists and a lawyer.

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Milano, MI, Italia

Team Lead:

Carolina Perotto