How do you cope? Free online tool surveys mental wellness

When COVID-19 emerged in 2020, Christine Lee’s research team set out to study the pandemic’s effects on mental health and substance use among young adults. In the Seattle area, at least, they found that people ages 18 to 29 were reporting feelings of isolation and psychological distress, and generally lower substance use.  

Lee, a research professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, wanted to provide this population with accurate, supportive information that could counter the potential perceptions that young adults were engaging in health-risk behaviors.

Over the past four years, that imperative morphed into an interactive online tool called “Check-In with Yourself.” 

The content invites participants to anonymously enter information about their mood, stress, coping mechanisms, substance use, and perceptions of peers’ behaviors. In return, participants receive personalized feedback and evidence-informed strategies to improve their emotional well-being and, if they choose, to pursue changes in their alcohol or cannabis use. 

“Mental health issues are high for young adults, so we designed the tool for 18- to 29-year-olds, but anyone can use it,” Lee said. “There are questions about alcohol and cannabis use, but you don't have to drink or use cannabis to get useful information. It's tailored to your responses.”

When Check-In premiered in 2020, “We wanted to give people skills to deal with stress so they felt like they could cope in a healthy way,” Lee said. 

The site subsequently attracted funding from the Washington State Health Authority. These funds enabled Lee’s team to redesign the site and adapt content to be relevant post-pandemic. 

The diverse content on “Check-In” has relevance for individuals within and outside of the designated age range, Lee pointed out. The site features five modules on topics such as mood, optimism, social connections, coping with stress, and the use and nonuse of alcohol and cannabis. Resources illuminate a range of topics, including relationship violence, career development and substance use, with additional content for individuals from specific communities such as military veterans.

One component within the modules allows people to check perceptions they might carry about their peers’ behavioral norms. For example, Lee explained, “We ask how much do you drink? And how much do you think other people drink?” 

Participants’ responses generate graphs that, for many, display a gulf between perception and reality, she said. 

“Normally, especially for people who drink, most people misperceive what others are doing," Lee said. "Your guess of how much other people drink will most likely be higher than the actual number. The problem is that people try to match what they think other people are doing. 

“These perceptions of what’s happening in our environments are sometimes accurate, but often wrong," she continued. "Yet they are in our brains and influencing our behavior.”

Most people won’t seek out information about alcohol and cannabis use, Lee added, but she thinks they are curious about what their peers are doing. By presenting population-level evidence of people’s behaviors, the “Check-In” website can challenge misperceptions. 

In 2024, the Health Care Authority gave additional funds to create a Spanish-language version that contains cultural adaptations for Latino and Latina young adults. This premiered this spring.  

“We’re very excited about Conéctate Contigo Mismo​. It’s not just a straight translation of Check-In, but an adaptation that we hope will resonate with the Latino communities in Washington. We held virtual discussions with Latino young adults and organizational leaders that support Latino young adults,” Lee said. 

These insights led to the development of new material and the inclusion of culturally relevant content and resources on the tool.

Related links: 

• Checkinwa.org (English)
• Conectatewa.org (Spanish)

For details about UW Medicine, please visit http://uwmedicine.org/about.