PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Five-11, a Phoenix-based research and technology company, is launching “Finding Balance,” a first-of-its-kind holistic health and well-being app to empower youth to track, monitor, and improve their sleep, mood, activity, and mindfulness.

“Kids and teens are struggling,” said Five-11 CEO Dr. Erin Carr-Jordan. “Over the past decade, anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges among youth have continued to rise at alarming rates, and childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last four decades.” The pandemic has created new stressors — and further exacerbated the struggles young people are already facing.

Dr. Carr-Jordan and Dr. Annissa Furr combined their 30 years of experience in health and human development to create this new tool. “As mothers and as researchers, we are committed to improving the health, safety, and well-being of youth around the world,” said Carr-Jordan.

Physical and mental health are inextricably linked, so Finding Balance addresses both. The app uses a combination of science-backed positive psychology and motivational theory to encourage and engage users. “We focused on behaviors and activities known to have the greatest impact on total wellness,” said COO Furr.

The Drs. met with neurotypical and neurodiverse kids as well as parents, caregivers, and clinicians to ensure an inclusive design. The result is an intuitive and highly visual interface with easy-to-read displays and colorful emojis that empower youth to be agents of their own health and well-being while providing caregivers important insights into children’s day-to-day experiences.

From exercise prompts to meditations and breathing exercises, Finding Balance promotes overall wellness, reduces stress and anxiety, increases happiness, and improves sleep in a fun, engaging way. Finding Balance works by encouraging users to identify their feelings, to log their activity and sleep, and to practice mindfulness.

“I really like how Finding Balance helps me keep track of myself and how I’m doing. Getting feedback when I enter my emotions helps to calm me down and relax,” said Finn, a 15-year-old user.

“The messages I get when I add my feelings make me feel better,” said Logan, an 11-year-old user.

“Independence is a key factor in improving well-being in youth,” said Carr-Jordan. A personalized algorithm generates a Balance score. The score helps kids identify trends and triggers to recognize when they are out of balance, empowering them to self-correct or seek assistance.

The Finding Balance founders are motivated to help youth due to alarming statistics like these:

One in six youth ages six to 17 experiences a mental health disorder each year One in 54 children has a developmental diagnosis 50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24 Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34 55% of teens experience anxiety, 45% report excessive stress, and 43% experience depression 61% of youth say the pandemic increased feelings of loneliness More than 13 million children and adolescents are obese Finding Balance is available on the App Store for iOS users. New subscribers pay only $3.99 monthly for an individual or $11.99 per/month for a family with up to six users.

About Five-11

Five-11 is a female-founded, purpose-driven company that uses inclusive design and positive psychology to improve youth health and well-being. Founded in 2015 by Erin Carr-Jordan, Ph.D., and Annissa Furr, Ph.D., Five-11 is committed to improving the lives of kids and teens around the world. To learn more, visit findingbalance.io and follow us on Twitter.

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