Los Altos Hills

This research aims to understand how a science-based mobile app called Flourish affects the well-being of students. It focuses on whether access to the app can improve feelings such as positive mood, loneliness, and belonging, and whether using the app together with a human buddy leads to better outcomes compared to using the app alone. The study is a multi-institutional, randomized controlled trial involving healthy students. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a waitlist control group that continues with existing school resources, a group using the Flourish app twice per week, or a group using the Flourish app twice per week alongside a "Flourish Buddy." The app offers a digital toolkit and an AI chatbot designed to support mental well-being. During the 6-week study period, participants will complete four online surveys assessing various aspects of well-being, including mood, loneliness, social support, mindfulness, resilience, and flourishing. Researchers will measure these outcomes at the start, during, and at the end of the study to evaluate the app's impact and participant retention. The total participation lasts six weeks with assessments occurring throughout.