Navigating the psychological stressors of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship is a daunting task that not everyone has the practical resources to fully address. Enter the WithYou PINK app—available now for free on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for a limited time—that provides proven therapeutic tools to help breast cancer survivors reduce stress and anxiety, build resilience, and move from surviving to thriving.
Associate Professors Evan Jordan in the SPH-B Department of Health & Wellness Design and Shelley Johns in the IU School of Medicine began co-designing the app with breast cancer survivors in 2022 through an Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences (CTSI) grant. Since then, they have built WithYou Therapeutics with investment from Boomerang Ventures, an Indianapolis-based combination studio and venture fund that supports early-stage health care innovators. Recently appointed CEO Jeri Judkins brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare IT leadership, and shepherded the idea from rigorous clinical science into a scalable digital therapeutic platform.
About the WithYou PINK app
The app was co-designed with breast cancer survivors and is the first in a planned series of apps to target different kinds of cancer support. Jordan and Johns were co-principal investigators on this project and worked directly with breast cancer survivors in Indiana to co-design this app to meet specific mental health needs.
“In the cancer world, you are a survivor the moment you are diagnosed. This app isn’t just for people who have gone through treatment,” says Jordan. “There are mental health issues that come with treatment, with doctor’s visits, with survivorship including fatigue, anxiety, and fear of recurrence—and all the other parts of life that are put on hold before, during, and after treatment. It is an enormous mental health burden.”
Jordan says the app provides real-time accessibility to sound mental health resources for those not able to see a professional easily.
“We know there is a severe shortage of mental health clinicians in Indiana and across the country,” says Jordan. “And oftentimes, if someone wants to see a clinician about their mental health, it can be a long wait. The app does not replace a clinician, but it fills in the gaps when that resource isn’t available or can’t be accessed.”
According to Johns, the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework is the foundation for WithYou PINK, as ACT is well suited to address the challenges commonly experienced by breast cancer survivors. The app allows the user to seamlessly sift through six core processes, with themes such as “Getting Unstuck,” “Living Mindfully,” and “Taking Action.”
“Survivors often tell us that the emotional impact of cancer doesn’t end when treatment ends,” says Johns. “ACT offers a powerful set of coping skills for navigating that reality—not by trying to eliminate difficult thoughts and feelings, but by supporting survivors as they move forward with their lives mindfully and in ways that feel meaningful and aligned with what matters most to them.”
A survivor’s co-design journey
“During my own cancer journey, I was fortunate to receive ACT therapy from Shelley and her graduate students,” says Nicole Paulk, one of the breast cancer survivors who helped co-design the app. “I was really struggling with the emotional impact of cancer. ACT helped me reframe my challenges, anchor in my values, and begin to take positive steps forward as I navigated my diagnosis and treatment.”
Paulk says being part of the co-design process by sharing her experiences with other survivors made her feel significantly more supported. For example, fear of recurrence and “scanxiety” are topics that the app addresses directly, thanks to the contributions of women like Paulk. By being a part of the development of WithYou PINK, Paulk believes she has now been able to “pay it forward” and make a positive impact on the lives of fellow survivors.
“Shelley, Evan, and their team did a great job facilitating the discussions and incorporating our feedback into the design of the app,” says Paulk. “The final product is very user-friendly and visually appealing. I love the ACTivities. They make it easy to access helpful tools and approaches in real time, and I am excited to see the impact this app will have on breast cancer survivors.”
Judkins adds, “Our work with the co-design survivor group reflects how digital health should be built—at the intersection of science, empathy, and lived experience. It has been incredibly inspiring to work alongside two IU cofounders who understand how essential it is to bring the survivor voice into every step of innovation. The process has been deeply meaningful, leading to something far more impactful than we could have created alone.”
For more about Boomerang Ventures and its impact, click here. Read more of how SPH-B faculty, staff, and students are making a mark both locally and nationwide at go.iu.edu/48bx.