Headstrong

About Headstrong

Learn to slow down when life is going fast. Developed by rangatahi with help from experts, Headstrong helps young people build resilience and a healthy outlook on life.

Headstrong is a simple, accessible way to build healthy habits that strengthen your mental wellbeing. The secure app connects users with a virtual guide, a chatbot that simulates a conversation and allows you to interact as if you were communicating with a real person. It provides you with a virtual friend who has gathered helpful things that have worked for other young people, when they’ve felt stressed or worried.

Headstrong is:
Developed by rangatahi with the support of experts in youth mental health
Free to use, with no subscription charges or in-app purchases
Backed by science and based on proven strategies for building mental resilience
Safe and private, keeping your data secure.

HOW IT WORKS

The app makes it easy for you to learn techniques for supporting your mental health and wellbeing via short interactions with the chatbot. We use stories, motivational whakatauki (proverbs), audio tracks, infographics, mini games and more to make the content more relatable.

With Headstrong, you can choose from three chatbot courses:

PAPARAHI | FOUNDATIONS
This course lets you practise daily skills for thinking and feeling better. It’s like a daily check-in and chat with a helpful friend, developing skills for thinking and feeling better.

AROHA
This course starts a kōrero with Aroha, a virtual guide. Aroha gives you quick tips on dealing with everyday issues in tough times, helping you navigate through what life throws your way.

HIKI TAUMAHATANGA | STRESS DETOX
This course is a 21-day challenge, where you learn to deal with stress head on by understanding your feelings, sparking positive thoughts and taking action.

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THE SCIENCE BEHIND HEADSTRONG

Headstrong was developed by a team of experts in digital innovation for youth mental health from the University of Auckland, in Aotearoa New Zealand. The tool’s content draws on Māori, Pacific and Western science.

The psychological strategies used in Headstrong are based on culturally responsive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), positive psychology (e.g. gratitude), mindfulness, interpersonal skills, and substance use harm-minimisation strategies. These strategies are used by counsellors and psychologists first, because the evidence says they work for most people, most of the time.

To make sure Headstrong makes a positive impact in young people’s lives, we use data and user feedback to continually improve it.