Do you work in the field of children and young people’s mental health? Are you a healthcare professional, service manager or commissioner?

We would love to hear your views on implementing digital interventions (e.g. apps and online programmes) in to your services / practice in order to improve the process of rapid testing, adoption and scaling of digital technologies in mental health.

Currently, only a small minority of young people experiencing anxiety disorders access evidence-based treatment. Further, children from disadvantaged or marginalised communities are more likely to experience anxiety disorders but are the less likely to access mental health services than their peers.

Offering therapeutic interventions to children and young people via digital technologies has the potential to offer an efficient and cost-effective means of increasing access to evidence-based interventions. However, for the potential benefits of digital treatment delivery to be realised, it is important that we understand how those who provide, manage and commission mental healthcare services view these digital technologies.

This study aims to explore how healthcare professionals, service managers and commissioners view the use of digital technologies in the provision of mental health treatment for children and young people. Further, we aim to learn about the barriers and facilitators of implementation of new digital technologies within children and young people’s mental health services, and to understand how any barriers can be overcome.

As part of the study, we are focusing on an example of a digital intervention for childhood anxiety currently commissioned by NHS services called ‘Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage’. Lumi Nova is a game-based digital therapy designed to reduce anxiety in children aged 7–12- years old by delivering graded exposure. We will ask whether you have experience with Lumi Nova as part of the focus group and, if applicable, for your views on it. However, it is not necessary to have experience of Lumi Nova to take part.

Your participation is voluntary and you can withdraw from the study at any point without giving a reason. A decision not to take part or withdraw will not impact your professional role.

Registrations are closed

I-DIGIT (Investigating Digital Therapy) focus group 25/11/22