Organizations call on university students and graduate researchers to address mental health in times of crisis
Learn about The Call for Code Spot Challenge: Mental health in a time of crisis
2020 has been nothing short of an everlasting 12th round in a boxing match. As we all await the final bell to sound that signifies the end of this battle, we remain stuck in the corner of the ring — ducking, dodging, and absorbing the barrage of punches being thrown our way, with COVID-19 being the upper cut we didn’t see coming.
While many problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic are tough to deal with, one in particular that has revealed its prominence is the impact the pandemic has had on mental health. In many cases, there are several emotions that are masked behind a smile, and it’s increasingly difficult to break down this facade to uncover ones’ true mental state, especially during a profoundly tough time of angst, fear, and the unknown, with much of it happening in isolation. Many of the most challenging problems to address are the ones we cannot overtly see. So what can be done?
In support of the 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge, IBM in partnership with Anthem Inc., Beacon Health Options, EMPOWER Collaborative, and XPRIZE have created the Call for Code Spot Challenge: Mental health in a time of crisis. XPRIZE chief innovation and growth officer and lead of the XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance Amir Banifatemi stated: “COVID-19 affects us all, but not all in the same way. Across the world, billions of people’s mental health is not in a good place due to the pandemic’s seismic shift in day-to-day life. The Call for Code Spot Challenge and the XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance combines the power of competition, shared innovation, and radical thinking to accelerate solutions to a problem that was heightened during the COVID-19 era.” It’s important now more than ever to provide a platform that fosters innovation, collaboration, and the opportunity for transformative solutions to be built surrounding the impacts of COVID-19.
“Data and analytics are pivotal in understanding who what when where and why the pandemic has impacted all of us, but has done so unevenly. I’m excited about this challenge because I’m passionate about improving the health care infrastructure, the treatment quality, and outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Transforming into a recovery oriented system of care takes a village, a village willing to challenge the status quo to deliver whole person care, where individual preferences guide decision making,” -Elisabeth Okrant, Senior Vice President of Quality Improvement, Beacon Health Options.
This spot challenge encourages university students and graduate student researchers from the EMPOWER Collaborative to bring their own pre-approved data set or to explore XPRIZE’s Data Collaborative to identify the impacts of COVID-19 on sociological and mental well-being in the community. With these insights, participants are tasked with developing scalable solutions that can help improve the psychological health across the country. Solutions can be prototypes or models focused on healthcare providers and frontline workers (e.g. nurses or physician burnout), patient experiences (e.g. isolation and recovery) or general civilian population (e.g. fear of public spaces; returning to work).
The solutions will be evaluated by an esteemed panel of judges comprised of some of the most accomplished and adept experts and leaders in the fields of healthcare, technology, and education. The judges come from Anthem Inc.; Beacon Health Options; EMPOWER; IBM; XPRIZE and multiple universities — bringing diverse experiences and expertise to the evaluation process.
The Call for Code Spot Challenge: Mental Health in the time of crisis begins on September 12th. Learn more here.
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