Willo

Challenge

College students are experiencing record-high rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicidality. Traditional campus services are struggling to meet the growing demand, underscoring the urgent need for innovative approaches to support student mental health and wellness.

Despite increased awareness of mental health issues, many students face difficulties in prioritizing their well-being and often lack knowledge about available resources for effective self-care. To address this challenge, it’s essential to develop solutions that enhance access to mental health support and promote proactive wellness strategies on campus.

Solution

The Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation (JCHI), in collaboration with UC San Diego students, has developed a groundbreaking app that redefines student mental health and well-being support.

Willo stands out as an innovative self-care and healthcare app, offering a personalized, on-demand solution that connects students to essential campus resources. Unlike traditional approaches, Willo integrates an intuitive system aggregator that customizes recommendations for services, resources, and apps based on individual interests and goals.

With features like health analytics and motivational incentives, Willo not only breaks down barriers to mental health resources but also fosters active engagement and self-management. This app is set to revolutionize how students approach their mental health, aiming to inspire a cultural shift toward greater awareness, open dialogue, and proactive well-being.

For the first time, UC San Diego students will spend more time engaging in their mental health and well-being instead of spending hours trying to find the right campus services and activities.

Key Features

• A recommendation engine
• Health analytics
• Active and passive sensing
• Gamification and incentives
• Predictive algorithm for anxiety and depression

Willo V 2.0

Originally launched in September 2024, Willo has now been updated to Version 2.0 and is available for download.

What’s new in V2.0:

• Updated Design: A redesigned interface offers a more user-friendly and modern experience.

• Collections Feature: Willo now organizes resources into themed collections, such as stress management, academic support, or social connection, making it easier to find what you need.

• Wellness Categories / Health Wheel: The app introduces a ​“Wellness Wheel” that breaks well-being into eight categories (mental, physical, academic, social, etc.). Resources and events on campus are mapped to these areas to help students understand and balance their overall well-being.

• Improved Recommendation Engine: The app better matches students with relevant campus resources and events based on their wellness needs.

Technology at Scale

Willo continues to be developed with input from students to ensure it remains relevant and useful for supporting student well-being. The ultimate goal of this groundbreaking app is to scale the technology to other universities.

Partners

State of California, UC San Diego

Student Health Service and CAPS, AWS,

Data Science Alliance, Healthcare Human Factors

To support and join our efforts in improving student mental health and well-being, please contact Nicole May, Co-Director JCHI, nmay@​health.​ucsd.​edu.