I-DIGIT (Investigating Digital Therapy)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Graded Exposure Therapy Through a Standalone Digital Therapeutic Game for Children Aged 7-12 Years with Anxiety Disorders
IRAS ID
315607
Contact name
Jon Wilson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 31 days
Research summary
There are around 500,000 children aged 7-12 years with anxiety disorders in the UK but only a small minority of these young people are able to access the treatment they need. Part of the reason for this is a shortage of trained experts able to provide treatment, leading to long waiting lists. Children who are from poorer and ethnic minority backgrounds are even less likely to access care than other children with anxiety disorders.
Lumi Nova is a game-based digital therapy, seeking to reduce difficulties with anxiety, fear and worry, in children aged 7–12- years old. The game delivers a treatment that has already been shown to help reduce anxiety called 'graded exposure therapy'. Lumi Nova has started to be rolled out through the UK as part of the NHS commitment to improving access to mental health treatment for young people.
This study aims to investigate the impact of offering Lumi Nova as part of NHS-funded mental health services, and to explore children’s, families’ and healthcare professional's views of Lumi Nova and similar digital therapies.
The study will have four parts. 1) We will analyse annonymised routinely collected outcome data from users of Lumi Nova. 2) We will explore which groups of young people are accessing Lumi Nova and whether there are differences in how helpful different groups of young people find it, including young people from groups that are less likely to access mental health support. 3) We will ask healthcare professionals for their opinions of offering Lumi Nova and similar digital therapies as part of young people’s mental health care. 4) We will seek expert agreement on what is important to know about new digital therapies before they are used as part of mental health care for young people.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NW/0195
Date of REC Opinion
19 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion