Silicon Valley, known for its innovation and influential tech giants like Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter, faces a significant and pressing issue: mental health. Despite the region's wealth and success, mental health concerns persist, even as the area remains desirable for professionals due to high salaries and lucrative job opportunities.

facts

Silicon Valley is one of the foremost economic powerhouses in the United States, comprising a substantial 14% of the national American economy. According to The Guardian, if Silicon Valley was a country, it would be among the richest on earth.
A highly competitive environment, experiences significant mental health challenges. The region is home to over 50 mental health apps, showcasing the growing demand for resources and awareness around mental well-being.

alarming data about mental health

According to the anonymous survey to thousands of tech workers made by Bilnde: 68% of tech workers have experienced burnout and 29% reported to have worked extremely long hours.
According to Masters in Data Science org., stress can manifest in many physical and emotional ways such as burnout and anxiety. And the signs are include detachment from work, feelings of dread or hopelessness, increased exhaustion, fatigue, lack of sleep, restlessness, irritability, impulsivity and feeling out of control.
According to the California Review Management, Silicon Valley is quickly becoming the suicide capital of the world: “expected success in Silicon Valley and heavy posturing of the tech culture that sees their intellect and wealth as status symbols”

There is a relationship between entrepreneurship and depression. 72% of sampled entrepreneurs reported concerns about their mental well-being and 49% reported having one or more lifetime mental health conditions according to a study made in 2016.

Suicides are happening at an alarming rate in the startup community when the business fails. The depression provokes them to commit suicide instead of asking for help, as the posturing and appearance of control is paramount in the hyper-alpha image driven tech world.

Tech, Healthcare, Mental Health

Mental Health problems in the Bay Area that need to be addressed in a holistic way

Qualitative research (User interviews, Surveys, dairy studies, observation), Usability Testing

8 months

Industry

Challenge

My Role

Project Time

MEET CHAD!

Chad lives in the San Francisco since 2013. He works for Salersforce as a Data Scientist. He lives 8 blocks away from his job.

He works everyday from 9am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, sometimes Sunday too. He leaves the office at 8pm and continue working from home, sometimes until midnight.

He does not have time to cook healthy food at home so he orders Mexican food almost everyday and eats in front of the computer.

He doest not have time to workout or meet friends. He barely talk to his colleagues when he goes to the Happy hours at his company.

On the weekends he goes to a local bar in his neighborhood by himself and when he comes back home he takes some mushrooms and go to sleep. He meets his best friend once every 2 months.

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE BAY AREA

What is causing the anxiety among tech professionals?

Burnout: working long hours

No life balance, stressful lifestyle

Stress due to the high cost of living

Malnutrition

Lack of sleep

Bad habits

High intensity work environments

Lack of friends, family /support system: loneliness

Drug abuse as a depression coping mechanism

What do we want to achieve?

-Gain a comprehensive understanding of the level of awareness and prioritization of mental health among tech professionals.

-Data collection on the lifestyle habits, work, personal routines and stressors of individuals with anxiety disorders to identify potential triggers.

-Assess the effectiveness and frequency of use of existing anxiety management apps among the target audience as well as its usability and user satisfaction.

-Generate actionable and recommendations for the design and development of innovative solutions.

METHODOLOGY

-Extensive semi-structured Interviews: some were in person and others online due to the arrival of the pandemic

-Online surveys

-Contextual Observation

-Emotional Mapping

-Diary Studies: Diary entries were collected electronically ensuring privacy and anonymity.

-Card sorting

-Usability testing

recruitment

Challenges: Sensitive subject, time, the arrival of covid and lock-down

Strategy:

Personal Networks and Referrals: friends, colleagues, industry contacts. Many participants volunteered due to feelings of loneliness during the pandemic, as they welcomed the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations.
Economic Incentives

Remote Data Collection: Given the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the research was adapted to remote data collection methods half of the study.

Criteria

Location: San Francisco and the Bay Area
Age: 25-45 years old
Gender: any. This approach aimed to capture a diverse range of perspectives and insights
Marital and Parental Status: Single or married without children
Employment Status and Education: Actively employed. A minimum educational attainment of a Bachelor's degree.
Income and Career Level: Participants with an annual income of at least $100,000 were targeted
Anxiety Episodes and Disorders: Everyone was welcome to be a participant regardless any mental disorder or diagnose.

CHAD EMPATHY MAP

key findings

-Prevalence of Anxiety: 100% of the participants interviewed reported having experienced anxiety at some point in their lives.

-Frequency of Anxiety: An alarming 80% of the participants revealed that they suffer from anxiety at least twice per week.

-Workload and Lifestyle: 80% of the participants disclosed working 60 or more hours per week, 68% stated that they do not typically have weekends off. Factors such as stress, limited time off, inadequate sleep, and long working hours were identified as triggers.

-Coping Mechanisms: 50% incorporate meditation as a strategy to cope with anxiety, 80% alcohol consumption, 60% utilize drugs, and 30% engage in regular physical exercise.

-Utilization of Technological Resources: Surprisingly, only 20% of the participants reported using technological resources specifically designed for anxiety management.

-Foreign professionals who migrate to the Bay Area for work that have been less than 3 years, bring distinct perspectives on mental health, which can differ from the local population.

-Significant gap in the market for a comprehensive and integrated app that take into account multiple factors influencing an individual's mental well-being. Absence of an app with a holistic approach to managing their well-being.

recommendations and next steps

-Opportunity to develop an integrated and holistic personalized mobile application user-centered taking into consideration user preferences, anxiety levels, and individual needs.

-Educational Resources within the application to raise awareness about mental health and promote understanding of anxiety disorders.

-Supportive Community Engagement: Implement features that enable users to connect with others facing similar challenges, providing a platform for sharing experiences, seeking advice, and offering support.

-Integrated Tools: Wearable devices and productivity tools, to provide a seamless user experience. Ensure compatibility and interoperability to enable users to track their well-being, monitor stress levels, and manage anxiety using a holistic approach.

-Regular Updates and Iterative Improvements: Based on user feedback and emerging research in the field of mental health. Conduct iterative testing and gather user insights to refine the app's features, usability.

-Culturally Sensitive Design: Recognize the diverse backgrounds of users, including foreign professionals, and design the application with cultural sensitivity in mind.

-Collaborate with Mental Health Professionals: Partnerships with mental health professionals or organizations to provide credible resources, expert advice, and professional guidance within the application.

Breathe