Kerstyn Comley & Suzi Godson, MeeToo: “Mental healthcare in the UK is broken and fixing it requires a fundamental shift in thinking. That’s where we come in.”

An EIS eligible opportunity addressing teenage mental health.

The UK is experiencing a mental health crisis. Young people are emerging as the key demographic who are becoming increasingly vulnerable to mental health issues. In 2020, it was found that 1 in 6 children between the ages of 5 to 16 were diagnosed with a mental health problem, this was a significant increase from 1 in 9 in just 2017. The pandemic has fed this increase, with the demand for mental health peer-to-peer support increasing exponentially.

MeeToo launched in September 2017 following Suzi’s idea to develop a mental health support app and onboarding Kersytn, who she discovered had a PhD in engineering from Cambridge. It is a social enterprise with a mission to provide mental help at a global scale. The app now supports over 55,000 registered users with capacity to support 16,000 users a month. MeeToo also joined the BOOST cohort this year, and the team has worked closely with them to support their seed funding round. Scroll on to read the amusing story behind Suzi and Kersytn’s meet and how MeeToo has become a market leader in the mental help space.

Kersytn Comley (L), Suzi Godson (R)

1. Describe your startup in two sentences

We develop and deliver safe, evidenced, digital peer-support technologies to enable people with mental health issues to help themselves, and each other. Our flagship product, MeeToo is a multi-award winning, 100% pre-moderated, peer and counsellor support app that is safe for children aged 11+. MeeToo has been independently evaluated and has been demonstrated to improve mental health in young people.  MeeToo has 57k registered users and is a safe, effective, scalable solution to the mental health crisis. Our MeeToo insights data subscription service generates recurring revenue.

2. What gave you the inspiration?

We are in the midst of a mental health epidemic and young people are suffering the most. In the UK, one in six young people has a mental health issue. One in four young people self-harms, and every four days, a university student dies by suicide. However, even though 75% of all adult mental health issues manifest by the age of 18, 76% of young people who need help never get it.  Mental healthcare in the UK is broken and fixing it requires a fundamental shift in thinking. That’s where we come in. Our expertise across data science, education technology, psychology and design has enabled us to create a product that is user centred, simple, attractive, safe, efficient and effective. The NHS simply doesn’t have the capacity to do this. 

3. How did you meet?

We both have daughters who are the same age and they used to take a trampoline class together. Suzi had an idea for an anonymous digital peer support app, but she needed someone with some expertise in tech to get it off the ground. When she found out that one of the other mums sitting watching the trampolining class had a PhD in engineering from Cambridge, she basically stalked her until she agreed to come on board. Suzi and Kerstyn spent the first year getting to know each other and discovered that they had a hugely broad and complementary skillset. 

4. What has been your greatest success to date? And your greatest challenge?

In 2021, the Evidence Based Practice Unit at University College London conducted an independent evaluation of the MeeToo app. The study, which involved 876 young people, found statistically significant evidence of improved mental health in young people using the Meetoo app. The study demonstrated that using MeeToo increases young people’s confidence, knowledge and mental health management skills. The analysis of qualitative and quantitative data showed that anonymity made it easier for young people to be open and they were able to connect with other young people with similar experiences in a safe but meaningful way. By practicing how to talk about their feelings they were also able to have improved communication with their parents. Overall, young people using the app reported feeling better and less alone and using MeeToo helped them to gain confidence in both connecting to, and helping others on and offline. 

It is very unusual for an app to get independently evaluated, mainly because it costs so much to do. Our study was funded by Innovate UK and it is hugely important for us because NHS procurement is obviously so much easier when you have evidence that your solution works.

5. How has Covid affected your business?

On 22nd of March, the first official day of schools being closed, there were an unprecedented 27 suicidal posts from young poeple using the MeeToo app. In April 2020, one month into lockdown, our user base had jumped from 20k to 25k and more than 30% of posts related to COVID-19. By March 2021 we were supporting 45k young people and that number has continued to grow. Before the COVID-19 crisis, 1 in 8 (750,000) were estimated to have a diagnosed mental health condition. That figure is now 1 in 6.  Because MeeToo uses a scalable peer support model, we have been able to fill the gaps left by the collapse of 1-2-1 counselling services. We currently have capacity to support 16,000 young people a month, with just

4 (FTE) paid moderators and 3 (FTE) qualified counsellors.

6. What kind of impact is your business having and how do you measure it?

That’s easy. We just look at our users.

This fifteen year old began using MeeToo in May 2021.

“I fucking hate my life. I've self-harmed, I haven't slept for days at a time, I've suffered through eating disorders, Anxiety to the point where I am afraid to talk to people, and the moment I get better the cycle starts again. The scars are back on my arm. My mind fills with negative thoughts. I become suicidal.” 

In September, she posted this.

"I don't want to jinx it, but I think we've done it. I haven't cut in ages, I'm 2 months clean. I'm eating 2 or 3 meals a day, and after countless relapses, I'm now stable. I'm balancing college and a part-time job, and I don't feel like ending it any more. Thank you to everyone that's helped me, seriously, you are the reason I'm still here today :)" 

 7. When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?

Suzi: A boy

Kerstyn: A marine biologist

8. If you weren’t doing this, what would be your plan B?

We feel really grateful that we found each other and that we are doing what we are doing because it is having such a hugely positive impact and it is also great fun. However, we have a new idea every five minutes, so we have about 1000 plan B’s too.

9. What would you save in a fire?

Family first, laptops second. Tough call though.

10. Who is your role model/ greatest influence? And why?

Suzi worshipped Steve Jobs, possibly inappropriately. We both admire Sugata Mitra for his novel way of looking at education and wish we knew Demis Hassabis for his genius with data.

11. What is your happy track?

Suzi: Be the one - Dua Lipa

Kerstyn: Pencil full of led - Paulo Nutini

12. What’s your motto and company values?

Motto: Download, offload, feel better

Values: Authenticity, Trust, Compassion

13. What are you most looking forward to in 2021?

Representing British social enterprise at Expo in Dubai in January. Launching our first major advertising campaign in April.