App launched to help children with anxiety

An app designed to help children with anxiety to face their fears has been launched in Lincolnshire.

Lumi Nova combines cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with gaming to help ease childhood anxiety.

Users will be able to play personalised quests which will gradually expose them to their fears and help to overcome them.

The free app, designed for children between the ages of seven and 12, will be available to download on 8 January.

Lumi Nova, which will be piloted in the area for a year, was designed by digital therapy social enterprise BFB Labs, along with children, parents, NHS clinicians, and mental health experts.

Lincolnshire County Council, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have worked together to launch the digital game.

Personalised quests on the app include children drawing themselves in certain scenarios and watching immersive videos that play out their fears.

Children and families living or attending schools in Lincolnshire will be able to access the service for free without the need for a prescription or referral.

Manjul Rathee, creator of the app, said: "It is something children can use in their own space at their own pace and in the comfort of their own home. In an area like Lincolnshire which is 70% rural, we are able to reach audiences who might otherwise struggle to reach services."

Councillor Patricia Bradwell OBE from Lincolnshire County Council said: "The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Lincolnshire is a key priority for us.

"We want to provide broader, flexible, and easily accessible services."

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