The well-known reggaeton singer J Balvin has publicly talked about his experiences with mental illness and path to recovery. Now, he is commercializing some of his experience by releasing the bilingual wellness app OYE.
Balvin stated, “This is one of my biggest dreams because it comes from my heart. “I’m human like everyone else, and I felt called to make the world better, beginning with mental health.” According to the business, Balvin will serve as the CDO and as a co-founder. Although it’s unclear how much involvement Balvin will have in daily activities or whether his role will primarily focus on marketing and distribution. In addition to being a co-founder, the organization said that Balvin’s role is to encourage the team to “dream bigger.”
In Latin America, 92% of survey participants in an internal OYE study indicated a negative perception of mental wellness and health care services. A spokesperson of OYE informed us that the study was “proprietary information” to the company and could not be shared, despite our request to view it. The statistic, however, resembles a study released by the American Medical School Association. According to the AMSA report, the Latino community has a cultural stigma against seeking mental health care, and few people know what that entails. Furthermore, a study posted in Hispanic Health Care International found that Latinos seek mental services 50% less frequently than others.
“We’re changing the way that we talk about mental and emotional wellness, from something that is seen as a private burden to something that is seen as a creative opportunity to exercise to create new aspects of your life,” said Dowd, a former PayPal executive who oversaw brand innovation and partnerships.
Dowd continued, “In fact, we’ve created two versions of the app that we’re releasing this month. Both of them are entirely in Spanish or English and our staff comprises both spanish and English speaakers dispersed throughout the Americas.”
Dil Bole Oberoi
