Building and practicing healthy coping strategies can help young people better navigate everyday stressful situations and transitions. Researchers at Lakehead University are testing a new smartphone app created to help students and other youth build emotional regulation skills, called JoyPop.
The app, initially developed by researchers at McMaster University, is now being used by Lakehead researchers as they work with first-year students to better understand if JoyPop can help these students with the transition from high school to university.
To date, the app, which offers a menu of items and activities to help youth de-stress, has proven successful in helping youth from different backgrounds adjust to university life by decreasing signs of depression and creating positive emotional experiences.
Due to the success of the first study, researchers will work with youth from community partner organizations, including the Children’s Centre Thunder Bay and Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, to determine if youth experiencing other types of life transitions, such as joining a new community, will also benefit from the features of the app.
For more information, visit Lakehead University.
