App successful in helping young people in Herefordshire and Worcestershire cope with anxiety
Lumi Nova provides therapeutic support for those aged 7-12 and was commissioned by the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) in October 2024
A digital game which provides therapeutic support for young people has been really helpful in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, a senior manager in children's mental health for the area has said.
Lumi Nova was commissioned by the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) in October 2024 and is designed to assist those aged 7-12 to manage their anxiety.
The app, which doesn't need a referral for it to be used, has been rolled out in around 20 areas, including nearby Gloucestershire, and over 20,000 children across the UK have accessed it since it launched in 2020.
Amy Smith, who's the senior manager for children and young people's mental health at NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB, said it has helped over 2,000 children in total so far across both counties and has had a real impact.
"We're really pleased with how it's been received across the counties," she said.
"There's a variety of different clinically evidenced therapeutic interventions in there, so it has graded exposure therapy, some cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in there as well.
"It kind of ties in really well with all of our other mental health services that we have on offer, including another digital service called Kooth, which is designed for children who are a bit older, and Melo, which is our early intervention and preventative service for 0-25 year olds."
Since being introduced by the ICB board, feedback recorded has shown 91% of parents and carers say they saw their child's condition significantly improve or stabilise after using it.