Wysa

Context

Despite growing mental health needs, schools face significant barriers to supporting students effectively. Traditional pathways rely on staff noticing signs of distress and initiating referrals, which can take time and may exclude students who do not meet strict thresholds but still need help. Long waiting lists, high referral rejection rates, and fragmented service pathways have left many young people without access to timely care.

Problem

Stigma remains a major deterrent, especially for boys and younger adolescents, who are often uncomfortable seeking face-to-face support. Additionally, there is limited access to mental health services outside of school hours, leaving many students without options during evenings and weekends. Staff are under constant pressure, particularly during exam periods, and may lack the resources or training to provide early intervention.

Solution

Rather than replacing traditional services, WYSA sought to complement them, easing pressure on referral systems and reaching those who may otherwise go unsupported. Wysa offers an AI enabled support tool designed to improve young people’s emotional resilience by sign posting them to the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. The tool is available as an app on both android and IOS, downloaded directly for the app store. The app has clinically developed tools and modules designed to support their mental health and wellbeing, and an AI supported chat feature where young people can anonymously explore their current feelings and be guided to tool packs that might help.

Evaluation

Young people aged 11 to 18 were introduced to the WYSA app through posters, assemblies and classroom sessions, while school staff received training to support its use. The initiative, supported by local health teams and education stakeholders in Scotland. The pilot was delivered in 6 high schools in North West Edinburgh and 5 high schools in Fife. Two different pathways were evaluated, to School Leads in Edinburgh and to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Fife.

Results