Team: 18
School: Media Arts Collaborative Charter School
Area of Science: Medicine and Health, Behavioral and Social Science
Interim: According to the CDC (cdc.gov, 2021), mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States. Many people suffering from severe mental health conditions have or will experience an acute mental health crisis at some point in their lives. These crises may lead to a variety of adverse outcomes, including long-term hospitalization, self-harm, or suicide. With more demand for professional services (psychiatry and counseling) than availability, it is often hard to get help during a crisis. Approximately 54.7% of adults with mental health issues don't receive treatment due to a lack of available providers (maa.org, 2023). Recently, a number of online tools and apps have been developed including but not limited to Mindfulness Coach, Headspace, Calm, Better Help, and others (USCF.edu, 2022; Braun, 2022; Leamey, 2022; Dorwart, 2022). While these apps and online tools are helping to fill the void of providers/treatment, many individuals still experience acute mental health crises without access to the support they need to avoid adverse outcomes.
We will build a computational model in StarLogo Nova that will determine whether a person will have an acute mental health crisis and whether it will end in an adverse outcome. The adverse outcome for people will represent death. There are many variables that influence this outcome; the likelihood of mental illness (the likelihood of mental illness will be a random variable that is different for each person), social support (including professional and personal support, each of which may have either positive or negative effects), and traumatic events (worldwide variables that affect every person ). Each variable will be allowed to affect the likelihood of adverse outcomes and will be manipulated through a probabilistic slider in our model.
At this time, we have completed our background research and developed our conceptual model. Our next step will be to begin coding in StarLogo Nova. We expect our model to demonstrate that having a system of social support, including both professional and personal relationships that are positive in nature, will reduce the probability of an adverse outcome (death in our model). The nature of this effect will also be a function of both an individual’s likelihood of experiencing mental health issues, as well as the likelihood of experiencing traumatic events.
Braun, Ashley. “10 Great Mental Health Apps to Use in 2022.†Healthline, Healthline Media, 21 June 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/mental-health-apps#what-are-mental-health-apps.
Dorwart, Laura. “Best Mental Health Apps of 2023.†Verywell Mind, https://www.verywellmind.com/best-mental-health-apps-4692902.
Leamey, Taylor. “Best Mental Health Apps for 2023.†CNET, CNET, 21 May 2022, https://www.cnet.com/health/mental/best-mental-health-apps/.
“About Mental Health.†Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 June 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm#:~:text=Mental%20illnesses%20are%20among%20the,some%20point%20in%20their%20lifetime.&text=1%20in%205%20Americans%20will,illness%20in%20a%20given%20year.
“Useful Wellness and Mental Health Apps.†UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 5 Oct. 2022,
https://psych.ucsf.edu/copingresources/apps
“The State of Mental Health in America.†Mental Health America, 10 January 2023. https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
Team Members:
Ana Sofia Rodriguez
Eduardo Dorado
Wyatt Wade
Sponsoring Teacher: Tanya Mueller