Our latest paper, in JMIR Mental Health, evaluates our recent research into a mobile app intervention for children with moderate anxiety.

Childhood anxiety disorders are a prevalent but treatable problem, yet access to treatment can be limited.

We evaluated Lumi Nova, a mobile app intervention for children age 7-12 years which targets mild to moderate anxiety problems using exposure-based CBT strategies delivered via an immersive game which can be played at home.

Following 8 weeks of home-based play, anxiety symptoms were lower, and progress made toward treatment goals. Lumi Nova provided a safe experience that engaged interest and facilitated progression. However, there were no improvements in relation to functional impairment and the positive effects were small.

But findings contribute to an emerging evidence base, exploring how digital apps can be used to deliver remote self-help interventions, and can facilitate early access to effective treatment. Whilst this was a small-scale preliminary study, we identify areas for future investigation and highlight the value of rigorous evaluation of digital interventions early in the development process.

Lumi Nova was developed by BFB-Labs using a robust co-design framework involving children, parents, teachers, clinicians, games industry experts and academics. The app is CE marked and has regulatory approval from the UK medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA).

Read the paper in full here.