RRI.CO.ID, Yogyakarta - Amid growing concerns over the rise of anxiety among teenagers and young adults, a team of students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has developed two groundbreaking innovations designed to strengthen preventive approaches to mental health. Their work responds to alarming global data, including a World Health Organization (WHO) report noting that more than one billion people worldwide live with mental health disorders, with anxiety and depression being the most common.

In Indonesia, suicide rates are officially recorded at 2.4 cases per 100,000 people, though a study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia (2024) suggests the actual figure may be up to 860 percent higher.

The UGM student team -- comprising Ikhlasul Amal (Biology), Qorina Nisrina Hafshah (Agricultural Technology), Zikra Fataha Al Mutansir (Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing), Diva Nadiartalika, and Athar Rosyad Partadireja (Psychology) -- created two complementary innovations: CalmBar and SELF-SCAN.

CalmBar is a functional snack bar that combines nutritional neuroscience with sensory grounding techniques. Made from natural ingredients such as mung beans, pumpkin seeds, duckweed, peanuts, peppermint, honey, raisins, and virgin coconut oil, CalmBar is rich in plant-based protein, magnesium, iron, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds like GABA, tryptophan, and menthol.

These nutrients are believed to support nervous system function, stabilize mood, and aid emotional regulation. CalmBar packaging also includes breathing exercises and grounding techniques (5-4-3-2-1 method) to reinforce its calming effect.

Meanwhile, SELF-SCAN (Self-Scan: A Youth-Driven Ecological Metacognitive System) is a digital application designed to help young people track their thoughts, emotions, and anxiety triggers in real time. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), the app monitors daily psychological dynamics and provides tailored interventions. Features such as Algorithmic Trigger Radar, The Auditor, and Pattern Intelligence guide users in identifying anxiety triggers, practicing self-reflection, and building long-term resilience.

Team leader Ikhlasul Amal explained that the two innovations are designed as an integrated system. CalmBar supports emotional regulation through nutrition and sensory experience, while SELF-SCAN builds metacognitive awareness, enabling users to recognize, evaluate, and manage thought patterns that fuel anxiety.

“We want to provide solutions that not only make people feel better temporarily but also help them understand themselves. Mental health is not just about managing symptoms, it’s about developing the ability to recognize and regulate thought processes and emotional responses independently,” Amal said, as quoted on UGM's official website, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

The innovations aim to shift mental health care from a reactive to a preventive paradigm, making support more accessible and sustainable for young people through everyday activities like eating and using digital devices.

Their efforts were recognized at the 5th International Youth Summit (IYS) 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the team won two Silver Medals (Theme Sub Health and Sub Theme Food) and the Favorite Poster Award. The achievement highlights the value of multidisciplinary collaboration in creating innovative solutions to global challenges.

Looking ahead, the team hopes to advance their work beyond competition by pursuing further research, prototype development, and real-world implementation. By integrating biological and psychological approaches into a single ecosystem, they believe CalmBar and SELF-SCAN can become part of the future of youth mental health support, helping build a generation that is healthier, more resilient, and better equipped to face the pressures of the digital era. ***