Mental health
Mental health platform Dr-Julian is set to provide an exciting new service after winning funding from NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB). Dr-Julian, one of the UK’s fastest-growing mental health platforms and care delivery partners, is one of only six companies selected by an expert panel after more than 130 bidders [...]
OpenUp has raised €20m to expand its workplace mental health platform in Europe and bring in new expertise. The Amsterdam-based employee mental health startup has secured the funding from venture capital firms Smartfin and Rubio Impact Ventures. Founded in 2020 by Gijs Coppens, OpenUp provides direct support aimed at helping employers build and retain resilient [...]
JAAQ has raised £13m in series A funding for its digital health and engagement platform, which embeds mental health content into user, patient and customer journeys. Powered by an AI-native approach, JAAQ says its bespoke library of more than 10,000 clinically reviewed videos can be integrated into partners' products or hosted as a bespoke JAAQ [...]
Ireland has published a €1m digital mental health strategy outlining national plans for digital tools, shared records and technology to improve mental health services. The strategy focuses on access, communications, digital tools, co-production, research, innovation and technology. Key initiatives include the HSE Health App, national shared care record, community care record and electronic health records. [...]
Wysa has secured £5.3m to adapt a digital mental health programme for adolescent girls in rural India. The funding comes from Wellcome and will support a scale-up study to tailor a clinically validated digital intervention for girls facing limited autonomy, restricted access to technology, lower literacy, stigma and family gatekeeping. Digital interventions are app-based programmes [...]
The MHRA has issued guidance on digital mental health apps, with five checks to help users judge whether tools are safe and evidence-based. The advice forms part of free online resources developed with NHS England for the public, parents, carers and health, social care and education professionals who use or recommend these tools. More people [...]
Experts have warned about rising AI chatbot use for emotional support and companionship, especially among younger people. Systems such as ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot are increasingly used as confidants, with reports placing therapy and companionship among top reasons. ChatGPT alone has around 810 million weekly active users worldwide. Writing in the BMJ, Susan [...]
AI therapy ‘works best’ when users feel emotionally close to their chatbot, a study of 4,000 app users suggests. The research highlights what authors say is key to effective chatbot therapy, and the risks of “synthetic intimacy” (forming human-like bonds with AI). Professor Dimitra Petrakaki from the University of Sussex, said: "Synthetic intimacy [...]
A quarter of teenagers in the UK used AI chatbots for mental health support in the past year, new research finds. A study of 11,000 children aged 13 to 16 in England and Wales found more than half had used some form of online mental health support in the last year, with 25 per cent [...]
An NHS-backed mental health fund has picked 19 startups for its second cohort, with each eligible to pitch for up to £1m. The Innovations in Mental Health (IMH) Fund’s 12-week immersion programme will focus on companies developing solutions for depression, anxiety and psychosis-related disorders. The fund also announced its first investment in Affiniti AI, which [...]
