Atlanta-based nonprofit Hope Booth partnered with L’Oréal Paris to install a mental health kiosk at Spelman College. Housed in a reimagined telephone booth, the interactive kiosk offers free, 24/7 mental health support services for students.
“College is such a pivotal time and season of an individual’s life, and students are often away from home for the first time and figuring out adult responsibilities on their own,” said Hope Booth Founder and CEO Gloria Umanah.
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death in this age group, which often struggles with anxiety and depression and isolation, yet they are very rarely going on their own to get the support and help that they need,” she continued.
An accessible mental health resource
A first-generation Nigerian American, Umanah experienced severe depression and anxiety as a teen and survived a suicide attempt in 2011.
In 2021, she founded Hope Booth to provide people like her with accessible, stigma-free mental health resources.
“Our UX team really thought through how to make mental health approachable,” Umanah said of the vibrant, interactive installations inspired by retro telephone booths.
“We did not want it to be stiff and scary and sterile, because we wanted it to be an easy entry support system for people,” she said.
Each booth features an evidence-based, three-minute experience available in both English and Spanish, developed in consultation with a team of licensed medical and mental health professionals.
Users start with a “hope meter” self-assessment, then select from a word bank of emotions, like “encouraged” and “anxious.”
That data sorts users into 19 tailored experiences, including real-time breathing exercises, positive affirmations, and recommended support services within a five-mile radius.
“Sometimes people need a moment to center themselves, and sometimes they have serious needs, like food insecurity or financial support. When you’re struggling, you don’t have the capacity to sort through those decisions, so we provide those resources,” Umanah said.
Internal data demonstrates a 77 to 79% improvement in user mood after interacting with a Hope Booth.
What’s next for Hope Booth
The Spelman College installation is the nonprofit’s 43rd installation worldwide. In metro Atlanta, other kiosks are located at Ponce City Market and inside Bridge of Light’s dignity wellness bus.
Umanah hopes to expand to 100 installations by the end of 2028, reaching 9.2 million people annually through Hope Booths in hospitals, schools, and prisons across the world. Future locations include additional booths in metro Atlanta as well as Orlando, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
“We are trying to democratize mental health and support and meet people where they are,” Umanah said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
