Anxiety disorders among adolescents and young adults are on the rise. The latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO) states that more than one billion people worldwide are living with mental health disorders. Anxiety and depression are the most common conditions, affecting people of all ages and income levels, in severe cases contributing to suicide. According to the WHO Global Health Observatory 2021 report, Indonesia records 2.4 suicide cases per 100,000 population. However, a recent study by Sandersan Onie of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia (2024), suggests that Indonesia’s actual suicide rate may be 860 percent higher than official figures.
Recognizing that adolescent mental health has become an increasingly urgent global challenge, a team of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students developed an innovation centered on preventive approaches to addressing the youth mental health crisis. The team comprises Ikhlasul Amal from Biology UGM, Qorina Nisrina Hafshah from FTP UGM, Zikra Fataha Al Mutansir from the FK-KMK UGM, Diva Nadiartalika, and Athar Rosyad Partadireja from Psychology UGM.
One of the team’s innovations is CalmBar, a functional snack bar that combines the principles of nutritional neuroscience with sensory grounding. The product is formulated using natural ingredients, including mung beans, pumpkin seeds, duckweed (Lemna minor), peanuts, peppermint, honey, raisins, and virgin coconut oil (VCO). These ingredients were selected for their content of plant-based protein, magnesium, iron, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds such as GABA, tryptophan, and menthol, which may help support nervous system function, stabilize mood, and regulate emotions.
“We developed an innovative model that integrates functional food with a digital metacognitive system to help young people build self-regulation skills more comprehensively,” said Amal on Wednesday (Jul. 1).
According to Amal, mental health disorders are influenced not only by nutrition. In the digital era, many adolescents experience psychological distress due to social media exposure, social comparison, and the tendency to feel constantly observed and judged by others. This phenomenon, known as the spotlight effect, often contributes to persistent social anxiety.
To address this challenge, the team developed SELF-SCAN (Self-Scan: A Youth-Driven Ecological Metacognitive System for Addressing the Global Youth Anxiety Crisis in the Digital Era), an application-based system designed to help individuals understand their thought patterns, emotions, and anxiety triggers in real time. Using an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) approach, the system monitors users’ psychological dynamics in their daily lives and provides interventions tailored to their current conditions.
As team leader, Amal explained that the two innovations were designed as complementary components of a unified approach. CalmBar supports emotional regulation through nutrition and calming sensory experiences, while SELF-SCAN helps users develop metacognitive awareness to recognize, evaluate, and manage thought patterns that trigger anxiety.
“We want to provide a solution that not only helps people feel better temporarily but also enables them to understand themselves better. Mental health is not just about managing symptoms; it is also about building the ability to recognize and regulate one’s own thought processes and emotional responses,” he said.
The integration of the two innovations is reflected in their approach. In addition to consuming the functional snack bar, CalmBar users are guided through breathing exercises and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, both of which are printed on the product packaging. Meanwhile, SELF-SCAN reinforces these practices through features such as Algorithmic Trigger Radar, The Auditor, and Pattern Intelligence, which help users identify anxiety triggers, engage in self-reflection, and build long-term mental resilience.
The primary objective of the innovation is to shift the mental healthcare paradigm from reactive treatment to preventive care. By leveraging everyday activities such as eating and using digital devices, they hope to make mental health support more accessible, practical, and sustainable for young people.
The two innovations earned the team a Silver Medal in the Health Subtheme, a Silver Medal in the Food Subtheme, and the Favorite Poster Award in the Food Subtheme at the 5th International Youth Summit (IYS) 2026, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 30-31, 2026.
Winning awards at the international competition demonstrates that multidisciplinary collaboration can produce innovative solutions that address contemporary societal needs. Beyond showcasing the team’s academic capabilities, the competition also provided an opportunity to exchange ideas with participants from various countries on the mental health challenges facing young people worldwide.
Looking ahead, the team hopes their innovations will advance beyond the competition stage through continued research, prototype development, and real-world implementation. By integrating biological and psychological approaches within a single innovation ecosystem, they believe CalmBar and SELF-SCAN can become part of a future solution for fostering healthier, more resilient, and empowered young people in the digital era.
Author: Jelita Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: Team Documentation