Innovate UK is granting £3.6 million to supplier-led projects delivering digital therapeutic solutions for mental health, focusing on extended reality (XR) tech such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and haptics.
The Mindset XR for digital mental health programme is offering funding to 17 projects in total, that address conditions spanning ADHD, autism, generalised anxiety disorder, and PTSD, with the aim of treating more people, including those in remote or underserved areas.
Selected projects are set to be developed and trialled over 12-to-18 months, with the UKRI noting their potential for widespread impact and delivering “scalable mental health solutions that could be adopted into the UK’s formal mental healthcare ecosystem”. The projects include:
XR Therapeutics Ltd is focusing on integrating XR with eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy to support people living with PTSD and trauma. Aerial 360 Solutions is developing AI-powered VR to treat seasonal affective disorder, and Braingaze Ltd is partnering with Goldsmith’s College and Child and Adult Neurodevelopment Assessment Ltd on eye tracking controlled VR or XR games to reduce ADHD symptoms.
Haven Studios Ltd’s project is an immersive therapy platform integrating biometrics and brainwaves for real-time personalised PTSD and anxiety therapy; CrossSense Ltd’s is an app for smart glasses to improve memory, focus, and mental wellbeing; and Cineon Training Ltd is partnering with the University of Bath on a VR stress therapy tool. EcoGPX Ltd and Intercultural Roots for Public Health’s partnership is focused on immersive XR experiences for therapeutic nature connectedness for adults living with generalised anxiety disorder; and Greener Games Ltd is working on a personalised XR therapeutic solution for moderate to severe mental health conditions.
Immersive financial psychoeducation for debt-related anxiety prevention and recovery is the focus for Good With Ltd; Play Well for Life Ltd is partnering with University of the West of England on an augmented reality board game for emotional-based school avoidance; Elixi Health Ltd is partnering with Imperial College London on VR exposure therapy for PTSD; and Photography Based Therapeutics Ltd is working on photography-based therapeutics to help young people share how they are feeling.
Care Reality Ltd is working on an AI-supported virtual role-play experience for professionals to practice safety planning and support for people in suicidal crisis, alongside partners University of Strathclyde, University of Glasgow, and NHS Education for Scotland. A partnership of Life Process Program Ltd, Queen’s University of Belfast, EXRT Intelligent Healthcare Ltd, Upper Springfield Development Trust Ltd, and Action on Substances Through Community Education and Related Training (ASCERT), is focusing on addiction recovery with VR and interactive virtual coaching.
VR-based eye movement desensitisation and Rreprocessing therapy is Reinhart Group Ltd and SyncVR Medical UK Ltd’s project; whilst Tend VR Ltd is partnering with the Eastern Academic Health Science Network on creating an affordable and effective depression treatment, delivered at scale via virtual reality in communities; and Zecora Ura Theatre’s partnership with the University of Greenwich is based on a haptic-audio XR device designed to support mental health recovery for those with chronic lower back pain.
Wider trend: Innovation in digital mental health
Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust have introduced a new brain scanner with AI integration as part of a research initiative with Kent and Medway Medical School and Canterbury Christ Church University. The aim of the initiative is to gain a better understanding of mental health conditions and dementia, in hopes of achieving “one of the biggest changes in decades to the way dementia assessments are conducted”.
A new psychiatric care network in Essen in Germany, is reshaping how mental health services are delivered by utilising the digital platform Patients Know Best (PKB). Currently, the network in Essen and surroundings with psychiatry, resident psychiatrists, psychotherapists, sociotherapists and outpatient psychiatric care are now live on the PKB platform, with more to join the network. Known as Integrierte Versorgung or Versorgungsnetze, German care networks are collaborations between hospitals, GPs, and specialists, with the Essen network focusing on mental health.
Sheffield Children’s NHS FT has opened a market engagement exercise with the intention to explore the options available for supplying online mental health services for children. The trust is now welcoming input on the draft specification for an external, digital provider of children’s mental health services, with the aim to “better understand the current market landscape and identify potential providers”. Constructive feedback will also be used to shape the trust’s future procurement approach and refine the requirements.
