Contxto – Not to go all Dr. Phil on you, but mental health is a big deal and shouldn’t be viewed as taboo. More so in our fast-paced, stress-filled world where more is demanded of us but, in the process, we overlook our mental wellbeing. And don’t let appearances fool you.
While Brazil is known as a happy-go-lucky country, its population faces serious mental health issues. One study showed that 29.6 percent of its population deals with a mental disorder; whether it’s anxiety, an affective disorder (such as depression), or substance use disorders. These ailments vary in degree, but all require attention.
With that in mind, there are various Brazilian startups using tech to help people feel at their best through therapy, mood-tracking tools, and even artificial intelligence (AI).
Learn more about them here, and if needs be, refer to them or any other solution with which you’re comfortable.
Vittude (São Paulo)
A digital marketplace where patients can meet with therapists. Likewise, this startup wants a company’s’ employees to feel fantastic at home and at work. Consequently, its platform can also be managed by companies as an additional benefit. And Vittude has the equity to keep going, as this healthtech raised over US$1 million last November.
Synappse Assist (São Paulo)
Great mental health isn’t something that happens overnight. But rather it’s a day-to-day process. And Synappse Assist’s application helps users register and monitor their overall state of psych through multiple features. Among these, users will find tools to keep track of medication doses, their next therapy session, as well as track symptoms.
Setta (Rio de Janeiro)
We all aspire to be the best version of ourselves. And there are tools out there to help you reach that vision. Setta is such a case. Through its platform, people can register their moods, enlist the things they’re grateful, among other emotionally-useful markers to track your self-development. It also offers guidance on how to refocus, recover your mojo, etc.
Ukor (São Paulo)
Self-knowledge is key to achieving mental well-being. And Ukor knows it. With that purpose in mind, the startup from São Paulo developed an app with various tools to help. One is known as a “motivational partner.” This AI assistant is created by the user. It learns about the person’s routines and habits to guide them along towards a better mental and personal state. The application also registers the user’s activities to track their progress.
Zenklub (São Paulo)
This is another Brazilian marketplace where patients can meet with therapists to discuss what concerns them in total confidence. Zenklub tenders to businesses’ employees as part of a company benefits program. But individual patients can also find a mental health professional via the platform. Moreover, users can browse through the various available profiles and find the psychologist that resonates best with them.
Youper (São Paulo)
You + Super = Youper. This startup’s name game derives from its goal to help you become the best version you can be. In other words, a “super you.” And the folks at Youper aim to do so via an AI assistant that offers personalized meditations, a conversation tool, as well as a mood-tracking system. And behind this AI is a team of scientists, doctors, and engineers who understand the science and importance of mental health.
FalaFreud (São Paulo)
We’re all busy nowadays. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make time to consult a mental health care professional. And technology through marketplaces like FalaFreud are bringing patients and therapists through online consultations. Audio or video—whichever format you prefer so long as you don’t delay those oh-so-useful sessions.
Vitalk (São Paulo)
Sometimes, all you need is someone to talk to. And Vitalk offers an AI assistant for such a purpose. Through its virtual health assistant, patients receive advice drawn from mental health experts. The more a user interacts with the application, the more it learns about them and curates its offerings. But if there’s something beyond the AI’s scope, it will redirect the patient to the appropriate party.
Cíngulo (Porto Alegre)
Self-therapy to reduce anxiety, stress, and insecurity. Through self-evaluations and a user constantly registering his or her emotional state, the app can provide customized tips.
And speaking of emotional states, this startup is also probably in a very good mood. That’s so considering that last December, Google Play named its app the best from Brazil.
Telavita (São Paulo)
A qualified psychologist is ready to hear you out on Telavita’s platform. Individuals or employees from partnering companies can schedule their appointment on the platform, view the profiles of its various therapists, and connect with the one they like most. Lacking the time or means to meet your psychologist face-to-face is not an excuse.
Related articles: Tech and startups in Brazil!
-ML, SB
Researched by Salvador Betancourt-Ramírez
