On the occasion of World Mental Health Day that falls on October 10, the popular multimedia messaging app Snap Inc. took a step forward to put mental health in top position by launching its in-app mental health portal, ‘Here for You’, in the United Arab Emirates.

The platform which was launched in partnership with the UAE Digital Wellbeing Council is a place that provides proactive support to Snapchatters who may be experiencing mental health or emotional crisis, or who may be curious to learn more about these issues and how they can help friends who are dealing with them.

By searching common mental health terms like anxiety, depression, and stress on the app, Snapchatters can access the feature by typing ‘Here For You’ or words related to mental health crises in the search box.

Sharing insights about the new feature, Jake Thomas, Head of UAE Market at Snap Inc said, “We’re honoured to be partnering with the UAE Digital Wellbeing Council. Snapchatters appreciate our commitment to privacy and how it allows people to be themselves, without the pressure of being judged by others. ‘Here For You’ was designed to empower our community with resources to help themselves, as well as friends and loved ones. Given that Snapchat reaches over 60% of 13-24-year-olds, and one in three 18-34-year-olds in the UAE, we believe that the most impactful way we can provide support and education for young people is in-app.”

Amal Al Blooshi, Director of UAE Digital Wellbeing at the Ministry of Community Development shared, “The step comes in line with our goals of enhancing digital wellbeing among individuals and the community and encouraging the purposeful use of technology. Through this partnership, we are bringing a resourceful tool that helps Snapchatters in pinpointing some mental health issues they might be facing and consequently addressing them to lead positive lives.”

The Here For You portal will focus on three chapters provided by the UAE Digital Wellbeing Council covering topics on promoting the values of positive digital citizens, resources on online privacy and bullying prevention.