MARCo - the Mental-Health Assisting Robot Companion - offers 24/7 support to young people with anxiety and depression. The robot has the potential to become a lifeline for a nation where less than half of people with mental illnesses receive adequate psychiatric treatment, and to bring it into reality, its creators have turned to the crowd.
Developed in conjunction with leading psychiatrists, the MARCo robot aims to support the ongoing mental health treatment of young adults, teens, and children with mental health disorders. It personalizes care based on five proven categories of mental health treatment interventions – companionship, mindfulness, talk support, biofeedback, and high-alert outreach in situations of self-harm and suicide.
The MARCo support system is available as a physical robot companion or online via the MARCo app, but research shows that the robot is over 11 times more helpful than an app only.
To boost its offering and scale to a size that has the potential to impact the US mental health treatment crisis, MARCo has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the MARCo robot via StartEngine where the average investor can own a piece of the company for as little as $250.
Offering 24/7 Support for Depression and Other Mental Health Conditions
The digital therapeutic robot is the brainchild of MARCo Health Inc founder Jacob Boyle, inspired by his personal history of depression and self-harm and his experiences caring for family members with mental illness.
Dr. Nithin Krishna, Chief Clinical Officer of MARCo says, “MARCo is more than an app or a robot, it is a lifeline.
"While not currently cleared as a medical device, as a support tool it is there to support ongoing psychiatric care. If you are a young person struggling with your mental health, the MARCo robot gives you access to personalized, in-person mental healthcare 24/7. Even when you’ve been refused other therapy.
“Wherever you are on your mental health journey, MARCo has your back.”
Director of Counseling at The College of New Jersey, Dr. Mark Forest adds, “MARCo is a wonderful invention that can really help support the mental health treatment of individuals given the increasing demand.”
His comments are echoed by Lydia Brown, one of MARCo’s first-ever customers, who says, “My daughter suffers from a mental illness, and when we saw [MARCo] we immediately said I want this for her."
US Mental Health in Crisis
According to the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse survey in 2021, the mental health of the whole nation is looking bleak. Almost half of all US adults reported anxiety symptoms, 30% reported symptoms of depression, and one in five noted they suffered some form of mental illness.
However, despite record levels of mental illness across the US, access to adequate psychiatric care is plummeting. Research suggests less than half of Americans requiring mental health treatment receive the care they need.
MARCo believes its new robot, now available at a lower cost to make it accessible to needy families, could be a much-needed plug in the mental health gap.
About MARCo Health Inc
MARCo Health Inc was established in 2019 by Jacob Boyle, a former military and med tech roboticist with personal experience of the devastating impacts of mental illness. The new, lower-cost MARCo mental health aid and robot companion is available to families of young people suffering from mental illnesses via the MARCo website. An app version of the robot is also available to download. Visit https://www.startengine.com/marco-technologies to join the crowdfunding campaign, or visit https://www.marcohealthtech.com to purchase a MARCo (whether for yourself or a holiday gift) or learn more.
