Evaluating effectiveness and barriers to access for children and families from ethnic minority groups and those living in deprivation

i4i Digital Health Technologies for Children and Young People’s Mental Health (NIHR funded)

We are excited to be part of an exciting new study in 2022, funded by the NIHR, and led by a team of clinicians, academics and researchers at Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust in partnership with Eastern AHSN.

Aims: The research team want to find out how well ‘Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage’ works for young people. Lumi Nova is a new game-based therapy, seeking to reduce anxiety symptoms, such as feelings of worry, fear and unease, in 7–12-years old. This study aims to find out if Lumi Nova helps to reduce anxiety, and to get children, families and healthcare professional's views on the game and similar digital therapies.

Background: There are around 500,000 children aged 7-12 years living with anxiety in the UK, but in 2019, only 10,000 of these young people were able to access care. Part of the reason for this gap is a lack of trained experts and long waiting lists for NHS therapy. Children from poorer and ethnic minority backgrounds are also less likely to access care for their anxiety than other children.

The NHS is committed to improving access to anxiety care for young people and sees digital therapy interventions as key to this. Lumi Nova is a digital therapy game which is specially designed to help children and young people with anxiety. It asks young people to play challenges throughout the game, where the young person tries out situations they find difficult and then rates how worried and anxious they feel.

Design: The research team will examine how well Lumi Nova works in 4 different ways.

1) The research team will look at data routinely collected from young people who are using Lumi Nova now to find out how well it works for them to help anxiety.

2) The research team will explore who is using it and if different groups of young people find it helpful or not. This will include those living in deprived and ethnic minority groups. The team will ask these young people how well Lumi Nova and digital therapy meets their care needs.

3) The research team will ask healthcare professionals involved in young people’s care what they think about Lumi Nova and digital therapy.

4) The research team will ask national experts what they feel is important about digital therapy care for children and young people’s mental health.

Involvement of Young People: Children, young people and their parents have been involved in the design and testing of Lumi Nova. Within this study, we will involve ten young people and their families in leading the project through an Advisory Group. The research team will work with people from this group to help run the different aspects of the study, including working with young people from poorer and ethnic minority communities.

Dissemination: What the research team finds out about Lumi Nova and digital interventions for young people’s anxiety will be shared with participants, families and professionals through videos, podcasts, conferences and written materials which will be designed with young people themselves.