Today, Monday 10 October, is World Mental Health Day and we are joining countless individuals and organisations around the world in campaigning to make mental health a global priority.
A small way we can all play our part is to simply increase awareness of the challenges so many people face with their Mental Health. The more people understand and the more we talk about our mental health, the more those in need will likely speak up and get help.
Join the World Mental Health Day movement!
Why is Mental Health important?
We all have Mental Health, just as we all have physical health. Our mental health is how we’re feeling inside, or how we are emotionally and psychologically.It’s a bit like internal weather.
Our physical and mental wellbeing are at least equally vital. It has a significant impact on how our daily lives feel to us, as well as our capacity to accomplish the things we need and want to, such as work, study, get along with others, and take care of ourselves and others.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, good mental health allows us to feel calm, content, peaceful, hopeful, and accepting of ourselves.
A recent survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing in England found:
- 1 in 6 people aged 16+ had experienced symptoms of a common mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety
- Women were more likely than men to be experiencing common mental disorders, with prevalence having increased since 1993
- Between July 2019 and March 2020 prevalence was 10%, but this rose to 19% by June 2020 and 21% by January to March 2021
Waiting list in the UK and how much it costs?
Without a comprehensive strategy from the Government to address the rising demand for Mental Healthcare in England, a generation of children and young people will experience longer wait times for their treatments and suffer a decline in their Mental Health.
This sombre warning comes from health professionals in charge of Mental Health services across the nation. They have noticed an increase in the number of people seeking help and treatment for their MentalHealth, particularly children and teenagers, at a time when the NHS continues to struggle with a staffing and estates ‘crisis’.
One in 35 UK residents, that’s 1.6 million people - roughly the combined populations of Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield - are on the waiting list for specialised Mental Health care.
How SBI supports Mental Health
With the help of our Simulation for Digital Health (SimDH)programme, digital health start-ups can gain knowledge, expand their operations,and develop more innovative consumer and business offerings. For example:
- Health and social care sectors develop more innovative evidence-based techniques
- specialists in software engineering get support with app and dashboard building
- signposting and screening can benefit from computer science, deep learning, and the use of chatbots
- Engineering can design virtual or real prototypes and develop biometric sensors
If this sounds useful to your digital health business, find out more about our SimDH programme here.
Learn more below about just three of the innovative companies working with SimDH to increase awareness and improve accessible digital Mental Health services.
Syndi
South Bank Innovation’s Simulation for Digital Health (SimDH) programme is helping SME Syndi work towards reshaping the digital health world and you can help them to achieve their goal too.
Syndi is a remote monitoring system for those who are currently on the waiting list for NHS Mental Health treatment. It provides users with customised signposting based upon your responses to regular surveys.
Syndi is currently going through research study process. They are looking for people who are currently on an IAPT CBT waiting list who would like some extra support before they start treatment.
The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effects of sign posting on user's wellbeing.
People participating in the current study will be assigned to either use the Syndi app for four weeks, or to a waitlist condition. There is a financial reward for taking part.
If you want to find out more visit our Syndi Health blog.
Little Nudge
Little Nudge is a coaching platform to support people in building their foundational superpower confidence, as well as emotional intelligence. They are starting with a nudge- based product that leverages coaching and allows people to build their confidence on the go, in bite-sized chunks.
Confidence is a huge untapped market and the way we are making coaching truly accessible presents a huge market opportunity.
Little Nudge have carried out a market analysis and delivered a prototype in eight months since starting the business in September2021. They are now building out the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) (following previous user testing of the no-code version) and are looking to launch inOctober.
Visit their website for more information.
RCube Health
Rcube is a digital therapeutical business, which is medical interventions delivered directly to patients using evidence-based, clinically evaluated software.
The brand’ first product, Resony, is a UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marked medical device intended to improve worry, anxiety and management of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in adults aged 18 years and older.
Resony is your personal guide to reduce negative stress, anxiety, and low mood by building positive resources for resilience. It offers 6 scientifically validated techniques based on a unique mind-body approach for stress and resilience. You can track your well-being, receive personalised techniques, and control your body’s natural stress responses using Resony.
Find out more about Rcube and Resony here.
