Youper is an AI-powered mental health application designed to serve as an Emotional Health Assistant, providing accessible and personalized support to users. The company was co-founded in 2016 by psychiatrist Dr. Jose Hamilton Vargas, Diego Dotta, and Thiago Marafon, with a mission to make mental healthcare accessible to everyone.
Product Overview and Key Benefits
At its core, Youper utilizes an advanced, empathetic AI chatbot that engages users in real-time, science-backed conversations and exercises. The platform's foundation is built on decades of psychology research and evidence-based therapeutic interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Problem Solving Therapy (PST), and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Trusted by over 3 million users, Youper has been clinically validated by researchers at Stanford University to be effective at reducing symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9).
Main Features and Capabilities
- AI Chatbot (Emotional Health Assistant): Provides instant, real-time support and guides users through emotional challenges.
- Evidence-Based Interventions: Incorporates a wide range of clinically proven behavioral therapies (CBT, ACT, DBT, PST, Mindfulness).
- Mood Tracking and Daily Check-ins: Allows users to track their moods, thoughts, and feelings daily to identify emotional patterns and triggers.
- Personalized Interventions: Offers tailored exercises and recommendations to help users reframe negative thought patterns, build resilience, and enhance motivation.
- Mental Health Assessments: Includes clinically validated scales like GAD-7 (Anxiety) and PHQ-9 (Depression) for symptom monitoring.
- Medication Tracking and Support: Provides features for tracking medication usage and its impact on overall well-being.
- Journaling and Reflection: Offers a private space for reflective writing as a therapeutic outlet.
Target Users and Use Cases
While Youper is available directly to consumers (B2C) for individual mental wellness, the company also targets the biotech and healthcare sectors with B2B offerings.
- Employers: Used to provide instant, private, and clinically validated mental health support to employees, aiming to increase productivity and motivation.
- Payers: Helps health plans offer a lower-cost, easily-accessible digital solution for mental health parity.
- Providers: Integrates into existing care workflows to increase the reach of health professionals.
- Life Sciences: Suitable as a companion application to a drug or as a standalone Prescription Digital Therapeutic (PDT) solution.
Important Medical Disclaimer: Youper is an assistant and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. It does not offer diagnostic measurements or treatment advice.