Lumi Nova: Implementation in Greater Manchester
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Lumi Nova - a digital intervention supporting 7-12 year olds who experience symptoms of anxiety. An implementation study in Greater Manchester to optimise for economically disadvantaged children.
IRAS ID
313721
Contact name
Pauline Whelan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
Half of all mental disorders start by the age of 14, yet up to 70% of children & young people don’t get access to timely, appropriate support. The demand for support has increased by 50% in the last 10 years leaving services under tremendous pressure. Anxiety, and other mood disorders, are the most common problem affecting children.
In the UK, there were 4.3 million children living in poverty in 2019/20; children living in households in the lowest 20% income bracket are 2-3 times more likely to experience mental illness compared to those in the highest income bracket. Yet they also face the biggest barriers to accessing treatment.
Lumi Nova is a therapeutic mobile game that delivers timely access to elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (graded exposures), in a child-led, non-stigmatising way. The game supports dialogue with parents, whilst providing professionals with recognised outcome scales to monitor progress remotely. Lumi Nova was initially built to appeal to the broadest range of children with anxiety; now, we have an opportunity to tailor Lumi Nova to meet the needs of disadvantaged children - specifically those living in poverty.
This implementation study intends to understand the barriers to take-up and usage for the most economically disadvantaged children in Greater Manchester, and use the findings to optimise Lumi Nova, and how its deployed, so that it can better serve these patients.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0121
Date of REC Opinion
15 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion