about the app
Premise
chrysalyst is a mobile application-based solution to track the mental health of students in school and provide timely support according to each student’s need. It works as a support system for class teachers teaching children in grades 5 through 12 in schools.
chrysalyst uses a data-driven evaluation system which analyzes information from data inputted periodically by a teacher on standardized parameters for each student in the class. Based on this data, it acts an early warning system to identify behavioral or psychological challenges in students. The application allows the teacher to alert the school counselor as per its data driven recommendation. The counselor can further use this data to tailor-make interventions for individuals as well as the class.
The application is to be used in a classroom– data is kept in a closed loop between the teacher and school counselor.
The application serves solely as a pre-emptive tool meant to aid in the identification of early onset of behavioral or psychological issues and to provide a data-based track record for the counselling process—it does not replace professional diagnosis.
Framework
To start with, teachers must answer 17 predefined questions assessing factors which contribute to 4 categories for an individual student: Socially Inept, Aggressive and Destructive, Emotionally Disturbed, and Possible ADHD. A description of these is given below:
- Socially Inept: Questions under this category measure a student’s level of confidence, cooperation with peers, communication skills, and ability to cope in social situations.
- Aggressive and Destructive: This category measures a student’s aggressive and destructive nature and compliance.
- Emotionally Disturbed: Questions under this category measure if a student shows signs of being disturbed—anxiety, depression, phobias etc.
- Possible ADHD: This category assesses if a student shows signs of hyperactivity or attention deficit.
These categories have been developed based on professional inputs from school counsellors. Together it was determined that these four categories effectively encompass the mental health of an adolescent aged 10-18 in today’s environment.
Proof of Concept & Way Forward
chrysalyst has been preliminarily tested by 2 school counselors and 6 schoolteachers. A total of 52 students were evaluated by these testers. For details on testing and data, please read the proof-of-concept paper at https://journals.resaim.com/ijramt/article/view/2220
As a next step, the application will be used in a real-world setting in a school for a year, in two different class settings. The data from the application along with counselor analysis and diagnosis of recommended student cases will help further validate the questions and trigger cut offs used by the application for its recommendations.