Centre for research-driven innovation aims to increase the use of digital mental healthcare

ForHelse (Research Centre for Digital Mental Health Services) is a Centre for Research-based Innovation (SFI) led by Helse Bergen, with support from the Research Council of Norway for up to eight years. Youwell is a key industry partner, and the platform is used to develop and research the effect of digital mental health services across a range of projects.

The challenge

Every year, more than one million people in Norway - and 700 million globally - are affected by mental illness, which accounts for 13% of the total disease burden. Yet only 20-30% of those affected in Norway receive mental health services. Digital interventions have been proposed as a way to increase access, but succeeding in practice requires interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers, health services, industry, and users.

How Youwell addressed the challenge

Within the ForHelse portfolio, the Youwell platform is used for a range of projects in effectiveness, cost-benefit analysis, early health technology assessment, and implementation. One example is Modi, a mobile app with a coping course for mild to moderate anxiety for young people aged 13-16, developed in collaboration with the Municipality of Bergen. Modi is a generic intervention that doesn't target one specific anxiety disorder, but can be used by young people with various forms of anxiety - built to reach as many as possible, with lower resource use than traditional talk therapy and groups.

Results customers experience

• Goal for 15% of the population to use digital psychological interventions by 2025, and 20% by 2030
• Brings together four leading research groups, five of Norway's most ambitious e-health companies, and five public health services with a nationally leading position in digitalisation
• The Modi project aims to reduce anxiety symptoms and lower the threshold for accessing treatment for young people in the Municipality of Bergen
• Gives the municipality experience with and expertise in digital health services, which can be reused in other initiatives