Digital literacy hindering adoption of new digital therapeutics in NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) amid pandemic
A survey of NHS CAMHS in England conducted by BfB Labs, reveals that almost 4 out of 10 (36.36 percent) have not adopted any new digital mental health tools to support children in need of mental health support since the onset of COVID-19.
Of the CCGs that have adopted digital mental health tools, the majority (63.64% percent) are signposting CYP to online resources - rather than a proven digital intervention.
LONDON, Oct. 15, 2020, A survey of 135 NHS CCGs in England carried out by BfB Labs, a pioneer in the development of evidence-based digital therapeutics for young people shows that 4 out of 10 CCGs have not implemented any new digital therapeutics to support children’s mental health since the onset of COVID-19. A limited knowledge of available digital interventions, cost, and lack of clinical evidence are the top three barriers for integrating new digital therapeutics.
The latest modelling by the Centre for Mental Health forecasts that as many as 1.5 million young people in England will need help with psychological difficulties as a direct consequence of COVID-19. This huge surge will leave hundreds of thousands of children without any mental health support as many CCGs were already struggling to provide support before COVID-19. Some of these children will already have existing mental health difficulties and may have been on a waiting list, but others will be seeking help for the first time.
“We need more to tackle the current status quo where postcode lotteries, high thresholds for care, and significant capacity issues are preventing timely access to support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The unique value of a regulated digital therapeutic is its scalability, location-agnostic accessibility, and anytime, anywhere availability via a mobile device.” says Manjul Rathee, CEO of BfB Labs.
BfB Labs is an award-winning pioneer in the use of emergent technology for early intervention in young people’s mental health. The company recently announced it has received regulatory approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for Lumi Nova – the first mobile game for paediatric anxiety disorders that provides ongoing evidence. Lumi Nova has been funded by NHS England via the NHS Improvement’s SBRI Healthcare programme and developed in partnership with the Anxiety and Depression in Young People (AnDY) Research Clinic at the University of Reading, and MindTech UK.
The NHS Long Term Plan places great emphasis on the role of digital transformation in helping to enable young people to access the care they need quickly and easily. However, the reality is very different and NHS fragmentation remains a significant factor limiting adoption and diffusion as this survey highlights.
According to Manjul Rathee, CEO of BfB Labs “In the UK, even if a digital therapy has been approved by the Medicines Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA), is CE marked, has demonstrated high levels of safety, efficacy, and has good economic data, this still does not guarantee widespread adoption. Our survey shows there are still further multiple decision-making factors as well as individual and organisational value judgments.”
BfB Labs survey also showed that 40% of NHS CCGs believe digital therapeutics have a role to play in early intervention support. Mobile technology can be integrated into community health care where a child does not meet the threshold required for treatment.
“Early intervention really matters in young people’s mental health. Untreated mental health issues can lead to life-long consequences.” says Manjul Rathee “We have a window now to prepare for what lies ahead. That means putting in place digital interventions that can scale access to evidence-based supports to enable those young people who need support to receive care quickly. “
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About BfB Labs
Founded in 2015, BfB Labs has pioneered the development of video game-based digital therapies for children using proven cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to improve emotional regulation and resilience and now anxiety disorders.
BfB Labs is committed to building future mental healthcare for children today with evidence-based interventions that are not only accessible and affordable but also treat conditions in an entirely new and engaging way. During this time of urgent need for digital mental health solutions that can respond to soaring demand, BfB labs is helping to enable NHS Integrated Care Systems and Clinical Commissioning Groups, schools, to provide MHRA approved, safe, flexible, and cost-effective solutions.
BfB Labs combine scientific and clinical rigour with the ingenuity of emergent technology and games to democratise access to evidence-based children’s mental health interventions.
Lumi Nova has been funded by NHS England and NHS Improvement’s SBRI Healthcare programme.
Driven by BfB Labs’ belief that effective interventions should be co-created with users, the people that care for them, and should also be highly engaging and clinically effective.
BfB Labs treatments are delivered through an immersive mobile game experience to drive user engagement and compliance.
BfB Labs flagship products include Lumi Nova and Champions of the Shengha, a heart-rate driven biofeedback mobile game that improves emotional self-regulation and resilience skills. Both digital therapeutics meet the highest standards in clinical safety & data security and are both CE marked and approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
For more information please contact:
manjul.rathee@bfb-labs.com