Media Advisory - Hackathought: a Hack for Student Mental Health and Wellbeing

TORONTO, Nov. 4, 2014 /CNW/ - The GTA is home to over 300,000 post-secondary students, all of whom face varying degrees of stress and strain as they pursue career and learning objectives. Attending school in Canada's largest city can be challenging because Toronto can be an expensive, lonely, overwhelming place.

To help support students, Thought Spot, an online map of crowdsourced mental health resources – created for students, by students— was launched in September 2014. Thought Spot is a collaborative project between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine, Ryerson University, OCAD University, and ConnexOntario.

On November 7-9, the Thought Spot team is partnering with the Ryerson Digital Media Zone (DMZ) for a three day event, called Hackathought. Teams will be challenged to create mobile apps for Thought Spot, and discover new ways for students and other users to contribute to the map using social media, mobile technologies and other innovative approaches. Prizes range from $2,500 in cash to educational opportunities in user experience design.

Media are invited to attend Hackathought which kicks off on Friday, November 7 with a panel of experts leading a discussion on the common mental health issues students face. Demonstrations and awards presentations start at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 9. For a detailed schedule, visit the Hackathought ChallengePost page.

Dates:	November 7 -9
Time:	Hackathought kicks off November 7 at 5:30 p.m.
Location:	Ryerson Digital Media Zone
	10 Dundas Street East, Ryerson University,
	Toronto, M5B 2K3

About Thought Spot:

Thought Spot is a live map designed by students, for students in the Greater Toronto Area. The map allows students to easily identify and access health and wellness services, and discover resources that are relevant to their experiences, situation, and location. Thought Spot is a collaborative project between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), University of Toronto Department of Medicine, Ryerson University, OCAD University, and ConnexOntario. This initiative is funded through a 2013 Mental Health Innovation Fund grant administered by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

About The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH):

CAMH is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please visit www.camh.ca

SOURCE: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Media Contacts: Christine Fitzgerald, Hackathought Coordinator, Aha Moment Media Inc., [email protected], [phone]; Kate Richards, Media Relations, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), [email protected], 416 535 8501 ext. 36015