An app game to help children aged 7 to 12 year olds facing difficulties with anxiety is to be offered to those living in Ealing as part of West London NHS Trust’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) commitment to improving access to emotional and mental wellbeing support.
Lumi Nova: tales of courage, for school years 3 to 7, helps children facing difficulties with anxiety in a number of areas including phobias, social anxiety and separation anxiety. It is recommended by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a first line treatment option for children with mild to moderate anxiety.
The intergalactic game, on iOS and Android, allows children to explore an alien space system and empowers them by teaching skills for self-managing their emotions and building resilience.
The Trust, which supports those across Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow boroughs, says Lumi Nova developed by BFB Labs, is based on clinical techniques which through the technology young people can understand.
Dr Johan Redlinghuys, clinical director for CAMHS services at West London Trust said: “It’s vital we use the technology children and young people are used to using to engage their interest and develop the skills to look after their emotional health and mental wellbeing. Lumi Nova is based on clinical techniques but helps translate them into support that children understand”.
Dr Redinghuys added: “We’re really looking forward to piloting this interesting and interactive app, that will bring digital therapeutic intervention for better youth mental health. It’s a fun intergalactic mobile game for self-management of fears and anxiety, recommended for 7 – 12 year olds to build resilience. It creates both app based and real world based goals which are set at the start, so the young person and our NHS clinicians work together to meet these goals”.
Manjul Rathee, CEO at BFB Labs said: “BFB Labs is delighted to be collaborating with West London NHS Trust on this new service which represents a novel approach to supporting children and young people early in a way that meets them where they are. We’re excited that Lumi Nova for childhood anxiety will provide much needed safe and effective early intervention support especially to younger children in a fun and non-stigmatising way that can be accessed anytime anywhere”.
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