Headspace Gives American Teens Free Access to Its Mental Health App

After offering free mental health exercises at the start of the pandemic, Headspace announced that it was opening its service for free to a group particularly vulnerable to mental stressors: adolescents. The company’s new Headspace for Teens initiative is pretty straightforward: Kids between 13 and 18 will have free access to a selection of exercises, including things to help you reduce stress, focus on mindfulness, and to sleep better. The only requirement is that they register to become a member of the youth-focused nonprofits, Bring Change to Mind or Peer Health Exchange. Headspace said it also plans to expand the free offering worldwide by partnering with more nonprofits.

“Through our research, we find that adolescents today are under a lot of stress and experience high levels of anxiety due to the demands of school, their job, extracurricular activities, social life and general uncertainty about their future, “Alice Nathoo, Head of Social Impact at Headspace, said in a statement. “Even though many teens have knowledge and vocabulary of mental health issues, it doesn’t always translate into action. “

Headspace for Teens follows a similar program to provide mental health support to educators. To reach a wider audience, the company also created three shows for Netflix, including an interactive entry similar to Black mirror: Bandersnatch.

Given how anxiety-provoking the world can be these days, it makes sense that Headspace would give people a taste of the benefits of meditation, relaxation, and solid sleep patterns. It’s not a substitute for a therapist – as we explored in our guide to finding home mental health support during the pandemic – but Headspace’s offerings still have the potential to help many people.