Inspiration
Mental illness is a major issue facing people today, especially during the pandemic. However, while it is a widespread issue, most people with mental illnesses do not seek treatment, often due to the stigma surrounding it. That's why I decided to build Ivy, a mental health chatbot that you can feel comfortable communicating with and discussing your situation knowing that you won't be judged. Ivy can also suggest resources to help you learn more about your mental illness and ways to overcome it.
What it does
The website provides some statistics about mental illnesses to give the users a better understanding of the widespread issue and know that they are not alone. Some helpful resources are also listed on the page. If you click the chat icon in the lower right-hand corner, the chat window will open and you can talk with Ivy. Ivy can help you with issues including depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD, addiction, ADHD, OCD, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts. Based on your input, Ivy will send a response with information about your mental illness, resources such as support groups, and activity suggestions to better control your mental health.
How I built it
The website was built using HTML and CSS. The Ivy chatbot was made using IBM Watson Assistant.
Challenges I ran into
It was my first time using IBM Watson Assistant so I needed to get familiar with the different features, such as intents, entities, and dialogs. Fortunately, there was a great walkthrough tutorial to help me. I also had to do a lot of research to determine reputable resources to suggest to users. Mental health is a serious and sensitive issue so I needed to make sure I was providing meaningful, accurate content.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I am proud of myself for trying something new and learning about IBM Watson Assistant. It was fun learning how to build a chatbot and was much less intimidating than I expected. I am also proud of myself for trying to make a difference in an area that a lot of people struggle with.
What's next for Ivy
Ivy only understands basic commands at this point, but it would be nice to enhance the application so Ivy can carry on a bigger conversation about more topics so that it feels more engaging for the user.
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