Claire Paul ’23  launched  HWell, an  app that helps students monitor their mental health, Jan. 30. The app includes features like  a mood tracker and a database containing mental health resources.

Paul said she came up with the idea for the app when returning to school following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Last fall, I struggled a bit with my mental health, and one of the things that really helped me was daily mindfulness and being aware of my emotions,” Paul said. “HWell helps you be in touch with your emotions and understand how you’re feeling. The app will actually alert students if they’ve reported feeling not great for 14 consecutive days, which I think is a great tool.” 

Paul said she hopes the app will be a medium for students to connect with each other and seek help if needed. 

“Students can actually share resources with other students, which was important to me,” Paul said. “My favorite feature of the app is the ‘Asking for Help’ feature. You can just put in your name and email address, and you’ll be contacted by someone from the Harvard-Westlake counseling team. It serves as a preliminary step towards recognizing your emotions.”

Bracken said HWell allows users to recognize patterns in their mental health and understand how to find support. 

“It’s hard to know where to go for help, which is where the app comes in,” Bracken said. “It allows you just to say, ‘Oh, yeah, for a whole week, I was kind of just feeling okay, wonder if that means anything?’ Hopefully, it allows some people to notice this trend and guide them.”

 Laura McNary ’25  said the app will help students become more self-aware.  

“HWell is a step in the right direction to address the mental health problems that I and other students, especially at Harvard-Westlake, face,” McNary said. “I don’t think that the app alone will solve the problem, but it might help students that are hesitant about seeking support.”