CeCe Cheng was motivated to found mental health startup ShareWell after escaping an emotionally abusive relationship a few years ago. Despite having an emotional support network of a therapist and close friends, she still battled feelings of lonesomeness amid her trauma, and sought to meet others who went through similar experiences in life.
Frustratingly, Cheng’s quest for support groups turned up fruitless.
“I founded ShareWell to solve a personal problem, but it quickly became clear that peer support was a much-needed solution for many,” Cheng told me recently in an interview conducted over email.
Beyond her own experiences, Cheng explained the United States is facing a mental health crisis. She cited data from the CDC that 1 in 8 Americans (including this reporter) are taking an anti-depressant, while suicide rates have risen 30% since 2000. In addition, 77% of Americans live in counties wherein there is insufficient mental healthcare. Correspondingly, the limited supply of mental health professionals is causing what Cheng described as “high rates of burnout” in workers.
People need readily available, low-cost mental health services.
“This is where we see ShareWell being able to provide a much-needed service,” Cheng said of her company’s role. “Peer support is a modality that is proven to reduce re-hospitalization and significantly bolster a person’s sense of self-worth, agency and overall well-being. Our vision is a world where everyone can get support when and where they need it.”
My conversation with Cheng coincided with news, announced today via press release, that ShareWell is partnering with Active Minds in order to more fully support the mental health needs of those in the LGBTQIA+ community. Cheng explained her company is “thrilled” to donate 100 annual peer support memberships to Active Minds, who can then distribute them to LGBTQIA+ young adults struggling with their mental health. ShareWell aims to sponsor 1,000 memberships; for the next two months, ShareWell will match anyone who decides to sponsor someone.
“We hope that this campaign [with Active Minds] will both raise awareness around the challenges LGBTQIA+ youth face and help 1,000 of these young people get the support they need,” Cheng said.
That Cheng and team announced their collaboration with Active Minds today is no coincidence; today happens to be World Mental Health Awareness Day—and October is LGBT History Month—so the timing truly is impeccable. Cheng believes the stigmas around mental health are “being slowly lifted in some parts of the world,” although caveating that, as with accessibility, there’s more work yet to be done. She also noted the heightened awareness of mental health as a bonafide medical concern is being pushed further into the forefront by a few factors, including the impact mental health has on individual lives and the collective loss of productivity and an increase in burnout. Young people, she said, are “opening up to be more comfortable” with sharing their emotions.
Asked about how technology plays a role in ShareWell’s mission, Cheng told me the company believes strongly that “innovative technology is key to building a mental health solution that is effective and scalable.” To that end, ShareWell has built its own video and community platforms, along with guardrails that encourage people to share their stories in a safe, nurturing environment. Furthermore, Cheng astutely observed technology’s pervasiveness in modern times has made the world a considerably smaller place, saying “there are so many platforms now that help facilitate professional or social connections.” ShareWell aspires to fill the void for people seeking like-minded people for emotional support. “We are excited to be using technology for good and building a platform to connect people over wellness and healing,” Cheng said.
As to feedback, Cheng told me ShareWell really has resonated with people. It’s her belief that peer support can benefit everyone, telling me emphatically “mental health is health” and that a robust support system serves only to help someone get through trying times all the easier. Cheng went on to say US surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has spoken extensively about what she called the “loneliness epidemic facing the country” and how a lack of social connection increases the odds of premature death by a “staggering” 60%. “It’s clear that healthy social connection is critical to a longer [and] healthier life,” Cheng said. “At the core, that’s what we’re trying to help people achieve through ShareWell.”
Cheng continued: “The feedback I cherish the most at ShareWell is testimonials from our members. We have heard the most incredible transformation stories: people leaving their abusive partners, widowers finding the strength to continue their daily lives, members overcoming social anxiety or isolation and many more. Perhaps the phrase that we hear most often from our members is that they’ve finally found people they can talk to in the world. It means so much to me that, because of ShareWell, there are people in the world who no longer feel lonely.”
Cheng was succinct in sharing her hopes and dreams for the future.
“My dream for ShareWell is we become synonymous with healthy online interactions,” she said. “In the future, when someone is going through something hard, I hope they will think to reach out and find peers in the world to support them. A less lonely world is one that benefits us all.”
Read the full article here
