Three students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently unveiled a new hotline for the campus community that aims to help depressed, anxious and struggling students.
Lean On Me is a new anonymous texting hotline that connects people from the MIT community with each other if they need support from peers, according to NBC News.
The hotline was created by students Andy Trattner, 20, Nikhil Buduma, 21, and Linda Jing, 20, at the school’s annual HackMIT hackathon last fall.
MIT has witnessed 12 graduates and undergraduates commit suicide in the last decade, and the school has taken steps to support people struggling with mental health.
Trattner says he knows how helpful it can be to talk with a peer during tough times because he lost his mother at a young age and found therapy difficult.
Peer supporters will be available to anyone who wants to text the service at all times. The supporters will be vetted and trained by Lean On Me staff and MIT faculty members. The service has been running since February.
The Lean On Me creators have recently applied for non-profit status and are hoping the services will spread to other colleges. Visit their website at lean0n.me.
