As education focuses on putting students at the centre, the focus on their well-being becomes sharper. Every student cares different personal scenarios such as family problems, economic difficulties, feelings of isolation, social pressure, anxiety, or stress related to studying. Sometimes teachers are the ones who help their students express their most complex emotions by creating a safe environment for them to process and understand. Educational technology can open up spaces that facilitate these advances for students to continue learning without undermining their health.

this social emotional learning (abbreviated SEL) consists of guiding students by applying a range of social and emotional skills, attitudes and behaviors in order to be successful in their education. This process develops vital self-awareness skills for life trajectories. Each student responds uniquely in a teaching environment, so understanding each one’s situation enables stronger interpersonal relationships. A kind of Include SEL in class to apply to educational technological resources to learn.

What support does educational technology provide?

world Bank declares He educational technology (of English educational technology) or educational technology enriches teaching by improving the management and delivery of education, it also has the ability to create new human connections between teachers, students, teachers and communities. Initiatives using educational technology should have five principles that maximize participation: have clear goals and objectives, reach all students, empower teachers, involve a system of partners, and use data to effectively combine strategies, policies and programs.

Generally, educational institutions will choose to contract a SEL package to take care of mental health. However, you need to make sure that you identify your students’ needs above all else. Teacher Alice Dominguez from Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista, California, sets an example for his students He commented that acquiring these resources creates more of a burden to comply with the stipulations when it is necessary to first address important conversations, those that lighten the load a little, and exercises that help to cope with them. The teacher invites you to first evaluate what works for each study plan, and above all for students trained in that plan. Sometimes it is only necessary to take methodologies that respond to the specifics of each case.

For those who perceive that their curriculum should include the use of certain specific applications, there are several options on the market today.

What’s going on in Latin America?

Some of the options educational technology These programs, which care about the mental health of students in Latin America, are available by downloading apps or through websites. Currently, tools have been created that include:

• mobile application take care of your soulDeveloped in Chile to promote access to tools for the prevention and timely intervention of the risk of depression and suicide. in students aged 15 to 29 years after the effects of the pandemic. Initiative, Imhay, Director of the Millennium Nucleus to Improve Adolescents and Young People’s Mental Health, Dr. It is directed by Vania Martínez. Access is free, the user’s symptoms are evaluated through a questionnaire, according to their response they are referred to a program designed to deal with the symptoms.

• web application YOLOobtained Yollotl Meaning heart in Nahuátl, it was created by the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (DPSM) and the Department of Biomedical Informatics (DIB) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) School of Medicine. This virtual emotional assistant help provides mental health psychoeducation to identify depressive and anxious symptomatology or students in at-risk situations and provides strategies for regulating emotions. Through six modules, the institution’s student body of six undergraduate degrees and postgraduate medical specialties will be able to participate in mental health.

• Cross-platform mobile app takes care of meFrom the University in Talca, Chile, They’re giving permission Through practice and practice, people learn to manage their mood and assess their discomfort with a questionnaire. Platform designed this way, they will be able to manage what happens to them without intensifying symptoms or triggering a mental health pathology.

• Mobile application with artificial intelligence Human PlaceDeveloped by researchers from the Technical University of Chile Federico Santa María (USM), trains, monitors habits and helps reflect factors that affect people’s quality of life. The self-knowledge platform was created to be used morning and night, with meditation and planning apps that calm the mind in the morning and encourage gratitude and restful sleep at night. The cognitive assistant can suggest alternatives for people to decide to seek help and/or treat themselves with the relevant healthcare professional.

• mobile application I’m fineFrom the Department of Psychology at Universidad Iberoamericana Mexico City (IBERO), it allows users to self-manage and improve their mental health. Asking questions about mood, setting goals, and helping with everyday emotions most apps provides strategic routes towards emotional well-being. Project responsible Dr. Angelica Ojeda Garcia, Indian This is a resource for people to consciously relearn and change certain habits.

• Application VS Beat Your ThoughtsCreated by four students from Prepa Tec Mexico City. The platform focused specifically on mental health services for depression and anxiety, gifts A professional-approved guide with calming exercises or contact to find a specialist for crisis management in your case.

Investigation “Mobile applications in mental health: Perceptions and perspectives in Argentina” demonstrated that the country’s population would be willing to incorporate new technologies into psychotherapeutic treatments. It has also been concluded that these resources can serve as an accessible option in different geographical locations or be useful in health centers even if the education level is low.

What can educational institutions do?

There are different ways schools and teachers can support students and promote mental health care, some strategies To involve to design a program of study that covers the subject in a multidisciplinary and inclusive way. Psychoeducation consists of disseminating information about healthy lifestyles, emotional responses and warning signs, and is about getting students to know and confront their emotions. Support through groups or peers is recommended not only as a strategy that includes the academic setting, but also as a strategy that encourages the support of those who can pay attention to other symptoms. Creating awareness in the classroom and avoiding stigma helps develop empathy.

Resources such as psychological care lines, emergency aid and face-to-face help, which are more frequently applied as a result of the pandemic, are essential. Likewise, it is important to use the platforms it has. online health checks.

Wellness-oriented educational institutions revive It creates students’ motivation and self-confidence, a sense of belonging and encourages commitment, and even increases academic success, retention and graduation rates.

Then, it is necessary to prioritize mental health and discover which tools are compatible with the student body and add value to their lives. Of course, taking into account that the selected applications have a sufficient level of protection of personal data, the display of information on how companies can have data and the necessary consent of users. The diversity of options available and the versatility of their use, as well as the emergence of new tools and methodologies, will enable more informed spaces and more human approaches. What educational technologies do you use to inspire mental health care in your students?