NHS-approved “video games” tackle childhood anxiety in Devon

A pioneering intervention that gives children and families on-demand access to a therapeutic mobile game designed to tackle childhood anxiety is driving positive mental health outcomes in Devon.

The NICE-recommended immersive game, called Lumi Nova, combines a gold-standard therapeutic approach – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – with ethical and immersive gaming delivered via a mobile app.

Lumi Nova was commissioned through Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) by Devon Partnership NHS Trust with Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) in 2023 to improve access to early intervention support for children and young people who are struggling with anxiety. It has already been used by more than 1100 children aged 7-12 in the region.

Data shows the service is having a positive impact: over three-quarters (79%) of users demonstrated clinical need when first accessing the service and over 90% saw their condition reliably improve or stay the same after engaging with the therapeutic mobile game.

In particular, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have seen significant outcomes after accessing the service, according to results from a deployment with Devon Partnership NHS Trust and CFHD.

Improving outcomes for children with SEND

Data shows Lumi Nova has driven especially positive outcomes for children with SEND in the region, pointing to the intervention’s successful support of children typically underserved by traditional mental health services:

• Lumi Nova has seen disproportionately high engagement from children with SEND: more than a quarter (27%) of Lumi Nova users in Devon had SEND as reported by their parents/carers, compared to 18% of pupils in England
• It has also improved outcomes: 93% of children with SEND demonstrated clinical need when first accessing Lumi Nova. After accessing the service, 97% of children with SEND showed reliable improvement or stayed the same

Tackling anxiety in young men

Data also points to the positive impact the platform is having for boys in Devon, amid rising concerns of a growing mental health crisis among boys and men in the UK.

More than 2 in 5 (45%) children who have accessed the platform in Devon identify as male. 53% identify as female and 0.3% as non-binary. Of the boys using Lumi Nova in Devon, 93% demonstrated reliable improvement or no-worsening.

“It’s been so helpful in so many ways”

The service has received strong endorsements from parents and families in Devon.

Emily is from Devon. Her son, Luke*, has autism and was seven years old when he first started using Lumi Nova for vomit phobia.

She said: “Luke has had challenges since he was born.

“One thing that particularly upset him was being sick and he had a real phobia around it.

“It made him panic and stopped him from sleeping each night. When I heard about Lumi Nova via a local charity, I leapt at the chance to use it straightaway.

“It’s been so helpful in so many ways and had an immediate impact. It made him feel empowered, his phobia seemed less frightening, it took the fear out of it and it made overcoming it feel fun, he felt like a little hero.

“I think a lot of the time it’s the anxiety associated with his autism that holds him back. For me, there isn’t enough support for anxiety but Lumi Nova is a great opportunity to provide that. It has made all our lives happier.”

“A positive step forward”

Holly Billington, Deputy Director (interim) for Children and Family Health Devon said: “We are incredibly impressed with Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage. This innovative app offers a practical and engaging way for children and young people to learn how to manage their fears and anxieties in a supportive environment.

“By combining evidence-based therapy techniques with a child-friendly approach, Lumi Nova supports young users to gain confidence and resilience at their own pace.

“It also represents a positive step forward in accessible mental health support for children and families.”

1 in 4 school age children are struggling

Manjul Rathee, founder and CEO of BFB Labs, the social impact organisation behind Lumi Nova, comments: “It is brilliant to see the positive impact Lumi Nova is having in Devon.

“Accessible, tailored, and engaging child mental health support has never been more important, with 1 in 4 school age children struggling, and waiting lists at an all-time high.

“For children with SEND, there are even higher barriers to accessing mental health support.

“Interventions like Lumi Nova, which provide inclusive, stigma-free and easily accessible mental health support for free, are vital to tackling these and ensuring every child has the tools to build resilience and manage their anxiety.

“It’s a privilege to be able to play an active part in this and we look forward to continuing to work with Devon Partnership NHS Trust to support young people across the region.”

Co-designed with children and parents

Lumi Nova has been co-designed by social enterprise BFB Labs along with children, parents, NHS clinicians, educators and mental health experts to act as a first-line treatment option to support anxiety in children before interventions like therapy are considered, or whilst they wait for other support.

The service aims to bridge the gap in mental healthcare provision for children with mild to moderate anxiety and improve access to inclusive and timely care.

Lumi Nova gives children instant access to an age-appropriate therapeutic mobile game to self-manage their worries and build lifelong mental resilience.

The intervention takes children through a series of personalised quests – such as imagining and drawing themselves in particular scenarios or watching immersive videos before facing their worries in real life – to gradually expose them to the fears and anxieties they face and give them the tools to overcome them.

Lumi Nova has been accessed by 13,000 children across the UK via schools, community services, local authorities and the NHS.

Lumi Nova is available in approximately 20 areas of the UK including Wakefield, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire. To find out if Lumi Nova is available in your area, parents can visit www.luminova.app/get-access.

How to access

Families in Devon are able to access the intervention online without the need for prescription or referral via Lumi Nova’s digital self-signup hub.

The self sign-up model allows for immediate, on-demand access without waiting lists.

The service remains available for children and families in Devon to sign up for now.

The Lumi Nova app is available on Android and iOS (with support for older, low-cost devices, to ensure all families are able to access the app).

Half of all mental health disorders start by the age of 14, yet up to 70% of children and young people don’t get access to timely, appropriate care.

Left untreated, mental health issues can escalate and become harder to treat.