The first app for counseling in Sweden is now launched. Via BlueCall, individuals in need of counseling can anonymously get help whenever and wherever they want. The user chooses who they want to talk to and what kind of support they would like to receive.

Mental illness is a growing social problem, particularly among young adults. By modernizing and digitizing the access to help, the startup BlueCall is making counseling more accessible and attractive to anyone who wants to anonymously ventilate their thoughts with an outsider.

– To seek help is still taboo for many, and some feel that you have to be mentally ill to get support from the community. It should not be like that, it should be cool and customary to ask for help. No thoughts are too small or too big to talk about on BlueCall, says Caroline Rödén, CEO and co-founder of BlueCall.

As a user, you are always anonymous and can call available support people directly through the app. You choose if you want to speak with a volunteer or a mentor who is trained in counseling. You can read a short presentation about the support person before you call. Today, there are more than 300 registered volunteers and mentors ready to answer calls. BlueCall already has more than 400 registered users.

The idea for BlueCall came when founder Caroline Rödén, Lisa Löfgren and Charlotte Sparre studied in Lund and Uppsala.

– Many people around us were not feeling well and were in need of support in their everyday life, but few sought help because it was complicated, time consuming and often costly. An app seemed like an obvious solution – it should be easy to find someone who can listen to you, no matter what you want to talk about, says Caroline Rödén.

Blue Call aims to cater counseling around the clock. In the current situation, you must be 18 years old to register in the service. The app is currently available for the iOS operating system.

> Read more about Blue Call: www.bluecallapp.com