Development of a Youth Mental Health Support App for Adolescents in Lagos State

Mental health awareness and access to support services among Nigerian adolescents remain critically underdeveloped, with social stigma and limited professional resources compounding the challenge in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. This study develops a youth-focused mental health support mobile application for adolescents in Lagos, providing anonymous self-assessment tools, psychoeducation modules, and guided peer support forums. The app is developed using React Native with a Node.js backend and Firebase for real-time forum interactions. The design thinking methodology informs user-centred development, anchored by focus groups with 40 Lagos State secondary school students and consultations with three clinical psychologists. Key features include a PHQ-A depression screening tool, anxiety self-check, mood tracking journal, curated coping content, and a moderated peer forum. The application was evaluated across six weeks with 90 adolescent testers, measuring engagement rate, self-reported mental health awareness, and crisis pathway utilisation. Results show a 52 percent improvement in self-reported ability to identify mental health symptoms and a 44 percent increase in help-seeking intention. The study recommends mandatory clinical oversight of the peer forum and formal collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health for professional escalation pathways. This research establishes a safe, scalable digital entry point into youth mental health support in South West Nigeria. Keywords: mental health app, adolescents, Lagos State, self-assessment, peer support