Suffolk Libraries is developing an app to help people with their mental health
This comes after they received funding from the Library Improvement Fund and funding from Suffolk County Council.
Last updated 4th Dec 2023
Suffolk Libraries is creating an app to help people fulfil their emotional and physical needs
This comes after they received funding from Library Improvement Fund and funding from Suffolk County Council.
The app is called 'Discover More'. Suffolk Libraries will start the software on their website before moving it an app.
Bruce Leeke, chief executive of Suffolk Libraries told us more about how the app works.
"It is designed to take some personal details off you and then does a well-being audit of the person and then asks some profile-building questions.
"Then in the centre of the system is an artificially intelligent algorithm that takes all of that data and interprets it.
"Then on the other side of the system is a data map of all the free events activities and experiences that are available in the county of Suffolk.
"The algorithm works out which ones of those free events and activities will help improve your well-being."
How does the app know what I need?
We asked Bruce how an app is able to identify what support people need.
"The models that we're using is is based on Suffolk minds methodology, which is all about meeting your emotional needs.
"Everyone has nine basic emotional needs and three physical needs and their evaluation works out which of your emotional and physical needs are being met, and which ones aren't. And what the product is designed to do is to understand that, and then to connect you to events in Suffolk (that will meet those needs).
"So one of the emotional needs, for example, is community. "So if you're not getting out enough meeting people, talking to people socialising, that will have an effect on your mental health.
"So if the survey that you do as part of Discover More tells us that your need for community is not being met, then you'll probably get recommendations tailored to your area where you can go out and do things where you'll meet people or follow up pursuits you're interested in.
"That will help you to connect with people and meet that need for community."
Why is Suffolk Libraries making an app to help wellbeing?
Libraries for most people, are associated with books and records, so we asked Bruce why they have decided to create a resource to help people's wellbeing.
"I think one of the things that libraries do really well is that we offer a safe space with no caveats and no stigma, and so that neutral environment is perfect for addressing people's well-being challenges.
"Because a lot of people don't like to go to a place which comes with that stigma or with a badge and even some of the NHS services because they feel that that's not right for them.
"So what we're able to do is engage people in a way that's non-judgmental and they will come to us as a first point of call.
"And then we are able to help them in a more preventative way because we're not addressing somebody in crisis, we're just addressing somebody who may have some low-level mental health challenges.
"And what we're enabling them to do, through a lot of the services that we provide and we provide lots of different services that help people, is lots of different ways is a way to retain that positive well-being by staying in a place on the mental health continuum.
"Because mental health is a continuum. And when you start to get stressed, you tip over into some of the severe mental illnesses. But if you can stay before that point, or well beyond that and where you get stressed, then you are in good well-being.
"So what we try to do is keep people in that place so they don't get stressed and retain themselves on the positive part of the wellbeing continuem."