• 

  AI powered chatbot

Project Story: viZen - Your Personalized Path to Mental Peace

Inspiration

The inspiration for viZen stemmed from a deeply personal experience. A close friend's struggle with mental health highlighted the pressing need for accessible and personalized support systems. Witnessing the impact of mental health challenges on individuals, especially among students facing academic and career pressures, ignited a passion to make a difference. This experience propelled me to envision viZen as a platform that could offer personalized mental health support, combining technology with empathy. Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, where mental health issues escalated due to lockdowns and social isolation, we embarked on creating a platform to provide support tailored to these circumstances. Initially, our focus was on offering advice, news updates, games, and a listening space to alleviate the pressure people faced during the pandemic. viZen is an extension of this endeavor, aiming to evolve into a comprehensive platform that provides assistance to individuals in need on an ongoing basis.

Learning and Growth

Throughout the development of viZen, I learned the importance of empathy and understanding in mental health support. Researching mental health disparities, engaging with psychology experts, and collaborating with tech professionals broadened my perspective. Each step taught me that effective solutions are not just about technology; they're about human connection and understanding.

Building the Project

The development of viZen involved meticulous planning and collaboration. I leveraged my programming skills to create an AI-powered chatbot, ensuring that it could engage users in meaningful conversations. Curating expert content and integrating features for progress tracking and personalized recommendations were key milestones. Collaborating with designers and psychologists helped ensure that viZen's interface was intuitive and comforting.

What it does

viZen is a personalized mental health chatbot designed to offer general advice and support tailored to individual users. It serves as a friendly companion where users can engage in encrypted conversations, sharing their thoughts and concerns. The chatbot provides guidance, general advice, and a listening ear, aiming to alleviate stress and offer support. Moreover, it helps users determine whether they may benefit from seeking professional therapy or counseling.

How we built it

We developed viZen by harnessing the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) and employing GPT prompting techniques. By utilizing these technologies, we created a platform capable of understanding and responding to users' inquiries, providing personalized support and advice.

Challenges we ran into

One of the primary challenges we encountered was determining the scope of advice viZen should provide. We conducted surveys involving counselors and students to gather insights into what types of advice would be appropriate for the platform. It was crucial to strike a balance, ensuring that while viZen offers support, it doesn't dispense advice that could significantly impact users' lives without professional guidance.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We conducted successful testing of viZen with a group of 15 individuals, with 14 out of 15 participants expressing positive feedback. The majority rated the initiative highly, giving it a rating of 4 to 5. This positive response affirmed the value of viZen as a supportive tool for individuals facing mental health challenges.

What we learned

Our journey with viZen taught us that mental health encompasses various metrics beyond mere conversation. We recognized the importance of expanding the platform's capabilities to incorporate additional resources and support avenues, such as behavioral therapy pathways.

What's next for viZen

Moving forward, we are exploring the integration of behavioral therapy paths into viZen's functionalities. Additionally, we aim to expand the platform to include voice assistant capabilities, allowing users to engage in conversations with viZen via voice calls, thereby enhancing accessibility and user experience.

Built With

• ai-powered
• and
• apis
• apis:
• backend
• chatbot
• cloud
• data
• database:
• development)
• external
• flask
• for
• framework:
• heroku
• hosting)
• integration
• languages:
• postgresql
• preferences)
• programming
• python
• services:
• storing
• user
• with