Salus - Physical and Mental Health Enhancing Smart Chair

Mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are prevalent in the young adults of today’s western society. In recent years, the rate of depression has been increasing in young adults and continues to grow. Approximately 800,000 people lose their life to suicide every year, making it the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29-year olds. Substance abuse, major traumatic events, and changes in life stages are all common triggers for depression and anxiety. However, maladaptive coping methods such as excessive overthinking, withdrawal, and avoiding help are proven to be the primary causes. This is especially true in young adults where these traits are more common than any other age group. For these reasons, young adults are the primary target user for this project. With further research into the users’ needs through interviews, user studies, and testing of current solutions, new ways of coping with depression and anxiety will be explored. These coping methods will be tested through surveys asking the target users to rate which coping methods are most helpful to them. With the information discovered, various coping methods will be combined to provide a full body solution that helps the user cope more adaptively with depression and anxiety.