Psientistas| The Isolation Solution

The Isolation Solution

Social distancing policies enacted the world over during the COVID-19 pandemic have left many people socially isolated. Your challenge is to develop innovative solutions to combat social isolation.

MindConnection

Summary

NASA's researches study astronauts behaviors on space missions, in which they are confined. Like them, many people are experiencing emotional instability due to social isolation, as this can conduce to a lack of interpersonal interaction and everyday problems, leading to the development of psychological and health disorders. The MindConnection website seeks to connect people around the globe, promoting a supportive network that provides an exchange of experiences among members, meditation exercises and maintenance of a healthy routine. In this way, the site contributes to the emotional suffering of users, creating bonds and communities of mutual help.

How We Addressed This Challenge

The project is capable to positively impact people from all over the world, helping them to maintain an emotional balance with a supportive platform. Thus, it addresses this great challenge proposed and is a viable solution to be applied technologically and scientifically. Although it is not the complete solution to mental health problems during isolation, it is a major step towards achieving individuals' emotional stability. In addition, our platform contemplates several areas of mental health (meditation, group conversations and healthy routine) in a creative and innovative way, enabling the user to choose activities and remain anonymous.

How We Developed This Project

According to NASA's data, one of the most difficult experience in space is the confinement and isolation of astronauts, which cause problems in behavior, mood, cognition and interpersonal interaction of people. With this in mind, we developed the MindConnection website, that has the motto of connecting people around the globe, promoting mutual help. 

Due to social isolation, many people are experiencing emotional instability, especially those who already have mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In this context, the website developed by the group creates bonds between people who are experiencing similar difficulties.

Thus, we made an website that the users are allowed to choose different chat groups, depending on their needs. The exchange of experience between members is a way to alleviate the emotional ailments brought  by social isolation in the short term. In the medium and long term, it can become a website that creates mutual support between the communities. In addition, there is a tab with meditation information and ways to maintain a healthy routine.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_QzyCL3Hdm428HJOhTlIcOKibhMMtv1r?usp=sharing

Project Demo
Project Code
Data & Resources

1.The Coronavirus Anxiety Project. https://sites.google.com/cnu.edu/coronavirusanxietyproject/home.

2.Tips on depression management in lockdown: Coping with COVID-19.  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/depression-and-covid-19

3.Meditation: In Depth. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth

4.Meditation: Process and effects. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895748/

5.Coping with Isolation: Tips from the Pros. https://blogs.nasa.gov/bridenstine/2020/04/21/coping-with-isolation-tips-from-the-pros/.

6.Social Isolation and Space. https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/social-isolation.

7. The Human Body in Space. https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/bodyinspace

8. Social Isolation and Space.  https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/social-isolation/in-context

Tags
#inspiration, #mentalhealth, #socialisolation, #nasa, #hackathon, #mindconnection, #Psientistas, #covid-19, #astronauts, #socialnetwork, #forum, #website, #meditation, #healthylife, #communication, #healthyroutine
Global Judging
This project was submitted for consideration during the Space Apps Global Judging process.