Speaker

Presentation Info

Title

If It's So Simple, Why Didn't We All "Just Do It"

Summary

Mental health crisis is a global burden that severely affects individuals' quality of life. Recently, its prevalence grew significantly due to the pandemic. Gaps in the healthcare system and barriers to mental health care access impede individuals' growing inquiries for mental health services.​ On top of that, a major issue constitutes the technological upheaval that hijacks the brain's reward system, fostering a culture of comparison, neuroticism and isolation. Consequently, over 70% of those in need of support never seek professional help, often resorting to self-diagnosis driven by dopamine-driven, one-size-fits-all information access. Youth mental health, in particular, remains one of the most under-diagnosed and under-treated areas.​ Sidekick is a neuroscience-backed behavioral engagement software that leverages advanced digital phenotyping to deliver personalized gamified therapeutics for mental and behavioural health. Built on over 15 years of state-of-the-art literature, the platform combines biomarker analysis with gamified intervention pathways. In-app interactions are designed using social-psychology insights to foster peer-to-peer connections and teamwork, transforming evidence-based therapy into a multiplayer experience that uses both internal and external motivators to sustain long-term engagement and drive meaningful outcomes. ​ By directly engaging the neural pathways that drive the brain's reward system, leveraging neuroplasticity to turn intention into sustained behavior change, driving an 86% retention rate compared to an industry average of less than 4% and tackling the €60 billion+ engagement problem in digital health. Although many internet-based mental health interventions exist—such as ASH by Slingshot AI (conversational AI chatbot), Wysa (behavioural therapy chatbot), Kintsugi (voice-biomarkers for mental health detection), and Headspace (meditation app) traditional barriers to participation like location and cost are hypothetically reduced. However, low retention rates (industry average <4%) [Kidman & Maher, 2024
] reduce the likelihood that users will receive the intervention dosage intended to produce beneficial effects.​ The reason is twofold: first, even before today's digital world, there was already a 70% gap between the intention to change and actually taking action. Now, with our brain's reward system hijacked by dopamine overstimulation, this gap has only widened, making it harder than ever to sustain healthy behaviors and long-term change.​ The industry remains stuck in the first act of a play, offering meditation libraries, AI chatbots, or connecting therapists to users. Meanwhile, the mental health crisis and loneliness epidemic are progressing, affecting us, our families and friends, as confirmed by the WHO's 2025 flagship report which found 1 in 6 people worldwide affected by loneliness, with the highest rates among youth. in this talk, we will explore the critical implementation areas for designing solutions that drive sustained well-being in today’s hyper-connected, dopamine-saturated digital landscape. What are the engagement mechanisms that transform fleeting intention into lasting behavioral change? One approach alone is never enough — each by itself misses a key architectural layer. That’s why, at Sidekick, we’ve developed a multi-layered engagement mechanism: an AI intelligence layer with multi-modal analysis of voice, behavior, interactions, and HRV for continuous personalization; gamification that powers neuroplasticity through streaks, points, and playful community challenges; and social psychology that transforms therapy into a multiplayer experience, alongside other critical features in digital health design. This convergence has achieved an 86% retention rate (RCT-validated) compared to an industry average of less than 4%, demonstrating that sustained engagement is not only possible but measurable. Most importantly, this architecture enables scalable, adaptive deployment allowing mental health interventions to be delivered efficiently across diverse populations and settings, meeting each user exactly where they are in both their health journey and engagement patterns.

Keynote

Presentation

GFHEU Year

2026