AI-assisted resources are poised to help address the mental health crisis.
By Sachin Chaudhry
In the world of mental health advocacy, I’m on a mission to foster social-emotional learning as core to the education system.
By navigating the complexities of addressing mental health challenges that often go unnoticed, I aim to help create a world where proactive identification and early intervention are the norm rather than the exception. I join the collective vision for a better, emotionally healthier world.
The genesis of my mission can be traced to a poignant chapter in my family’s narrative. Witnessing the emotional unraveling of my younger brother, Salil Chaudhry — due to relentless bullying at school and subsequent mental health challenges — became the catalyst for my unwavering resolve. The pain of missed early signs and interventions served as the crucible from which I founded TrustCircle, an entity dedicated to ensuring that no one else would suffer a similar fate.
TrustCircle’s purpose is to address the global mental health crisis for students.
I envisioned how integrating social-emotional learning as core to the education system would revolutionize how we approach mental well-being. My journey led to the creation of a unique, AI-based mental health and well-being platform designed to foster emotional resilience and preventative mental health care for students on a global scale.
Worldwide, students are increasingly grappling with mental health concerns exacerbated by factors like academic pressure, social dynamics, and the digital era’s challenges. TrustCircle’s AI-based well-being platform is a pivotal innovation in this landscape. By integrating social-emotional learning into the education system, TrustCircle is not only directly addressing students’ mental health needs but also promoting a culture of prevention and early intervention. This proactive approach is pivotal in changing how mental health is understood and managed in educational settings, offering students tools and resources to build resilience and well-being from an early age.
TrustCircle’s vision and commitment have attracted the attention and collaboration of several global organizations.
Partnerships have been instrumental in broadening the reach and deepening the impact of TrustCircle’s initiatives, such as those with UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Healthy Brains Global Initiative — a unique endeavor of UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank. Other key partnerships have included the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations, Ashoka, SOFINA, the King Baudouin Foundation, the Hawaii Department of Education, and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports — Government of India. These collaborations enable TrustCircle to leverage a wealth of expertise and resources, enhancing its ability to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals across different cultures and communities.
I aim to inspire governments to prioritize mental health in their agenda.
Imagine how powerful it would be if educational systems worldwide require 2–3 minutes of self-reflection time in every classroom. Then, every school will start giving the much-needed space to students to self-reflect.
The impact of TrustCircle has been significant and far-reaching. The TrustCircle Well-Being Platform has been selected as one of the best and most replicable innovations across G20 countries for adolescent health and well-being, and the innovation was showcased at the G20 Summit in India in collaboration with UNICEF India and Yuwaah to international leaders including Honorable Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh L. Mandaviya.
TrustCircle is on track to empower 1.3 million individuals across five countries with a goal to reach at least 10% of the global population by 2040.
By making social-emotional learning core to the education system, TrustCircle is not just addressing mental health issues but also transforming the way future generations will perceive and manage mental health. This transformational approach emphasizes early intervention and prevention, a crucial shift from the traditional reactive methods in mental health care.
Moreover, TrustCircle’s associations with the WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Mental Health, the Schizophrenia Research Foundation, and the University of Warwick bring academic and research-based rigor to its approach, ensuring that our programs are not only empathetic and user-friendly but also scientifically sound and effective. Recognition by Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and supports leading social entrepreneurs, further validates our innovative approach and potential for systemic change.
TrustCircle’s journey grew from a passionate idea to a globally recognized platform for mental health prevention and emotional resilience, a testament to the power of vision, collaboration, and innovation in addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our times. With our holistic approach and global partnerships, I believe TrustCircle is well on its way to redefining mental health care and education, inspiring a systemic change toward a more emotionally resilient world.
