Digital Therapy Game for Anxious Children Offered in UK
Lumi Nova, a digital therapy game designed for children aged 7-12 with mild to moderate anxiety, is being offered for free to families in select UK regions. The app uses gamified therapy to help children learn to self-manage their worries. This approach illustrates a trend toward developing accessible, non-stigmatizing mental health tools for children and their families.
- The development of Lumi Nova was primarily funded through non-dilutive funding from the NHS and Innovate UK, which allowed the company to focus on product development and accessibility. BfB Labs, the creator of Lumi Nova, has also received grant funding, including a $1.25 million grant at the startup stage. The company's business model is centered on partnerships with NHS trusts, local authorities, and schools to provide free access to families, aiming to reduce healthcare wait times and improve service accessibility. - Lumi Nova is built on the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically utilizing psychoeducation and exposure therapy to help children manage their anxieties. The app is a CE-marked, Class 1 medical device registered with the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a first-line treatment option for mild to moderate anxiety in children. - The game's design was a co-creation process involving children, parents, NHS clinicians, and academic experts to ensure it is engaging and effective. For user retention, the app employs gamification, a narrative-driven adventure, and a reward system. To promote healthy screen time habits, gameplay is time-limited per session. The involvement of parents or guardians is also a key part of the therapeutic process, with features designed to support their participation. - In terms of effectiveness, a study showed that in 8 weeks, children using Lumi Nova experienced a reduction in anxiety symptoms, with more frequent use correlating to a greater reduction. Real-world data from a deployment in Gloucestershire showed that over 90% of users reported reliable improvements or no decline in their condition. Since 2023, the app has supported over 13,000 children and families. - The founder and CEO of BfB Labs, Manjul Rathee, has a background in building mission-driven enterprises. The company is female-led and emphasizes a diverse and inclusive culture. To support its growth and fundraising capabilities, BfB Labs has appointed new board members with experience in scaling tech companies, healthcare systems, and venture capital. - User data from the app is sent to a secure online platform called the VitaMind Hub, which can be accessed by authorized healthcare professionals to monitor a child's progress. The platform is GDPR compliant and meets NHS data security standards. - There is currently no publicly available information indicating that Lumi Nova integrates with wearable devices such as Apple HealthKit, Fitbit, Oura, or Whoop. The primary data collection appears to be through in-app interactions and parent-reported surveys. - While specific details on the use of AI for personalization are not extensively publicized, the digital therapeutics market, in general, is moving towards incorporating AI and machine learning to tailor interventions. Digital therapeutics for pediatrics are also increasingly looking at AI-driven personalization as a future development.
