Jackie Drees –  | 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati researchers have teamed up to create an app that offers digital mental health support and anxiety coping practices and skills for children.

The organizations tapped chatbot developer Wysa to develop the Covid Anxiety app, which is designed for individuals ages 13 and older. The artificial intelligence-powered app engages with users in chatbot conversations to help them focus on what they feel anxious about in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide recommendations for self-care.

The app offers nine exercises for coping with anxiety related to the pandemic, including cognitive behavior therapy methods, visualization and relaxation techniques. The app’s exercises and conversations are intended to support self-care and not to be used as a replacement for professional psychiatric help, according to the Aug. 5 news release.

The Covid Anxiety app is free and available for download through Google and Apple’s app stores. 

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