Thinking Design Analysis as an Approach Psychology to Support Mental Health

Abstract

Student mental health is an important concern in the modern world of higher education, especially in the face of various academic, social, and personal pressures. This research aims to analyze the concept of thinking design as a psychological approach to support students' mental health through learning based on the Massive Open Online Course platform. The research method uses an analytical descriptive approach by examining the implementation of five stages of thinking design in the context of psychology, including empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Data was obtained from the MOOC learning experience as a result of a collaboration between Bina Darma University and Gadjah Mada University which focused on the application of thinking design to design mental health solutions. The results of the study show that thinking design is in line with the principles of humanistic psychology, providing a systematic framework for students to understand emotional states, identify sources of stress, and develop adaptive coping strategies. MOOC platforms have proven to be effective in democratizing access to psychoeducation by addressing geographical, financial, and social stigma barriers. This approach shifts the paradigm of psychological intervention from a pathological-reactive model to a proactive-preventive model that is more relevant to the needs of the digital generation. In conclusion, thinking design offers an innovative alternative in contemporary psychology practices that are flexible, creative, and user-centered to support students' mental well-being.