Wellbeing

Partner: The Nominet Trust

    The Challenge

    We are delighted to announce we are finalists in the Google Impact Challenge for the videogame we are developing which trains young people in breathing regulation, strengthening their emotional resilience and improving their mental health. Read more about it here and please consider voting for us. Many thanks

    According to the Mental Health Foundation, 25% of people in Britain will experience mental health problems every year.[1] Depression and anxiety alone caused £13.52 billion in lost earnings in 2007, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists estimates that the wider costs of mental health problems are £102 billion each year.[2][3]Featuring products or services designed to facilitate positive mental health habits and activities, either explicitly or implicitly. These are organised by activity they encourage (mindfulness, gratitudes, awe and optimism).

    Addressing this challenge requires early intervention. Half of all lifetime mental health problems start by age 14 and three-quarters start before the mid-20s.[4][5]

    While it is important that young people have access to diagnosis and treatment for mental health problems, mental health practitioners now agree that developing positive mental health, or wellbeing, in childhood and adolescence is key to preventing mental health problems.[6] For example, the Scottish Government states that “the best research evidence suggests that particular attention and emphasis [should be] given to the early years of life and also to the mental wellbeing of children and young people, especially those who are at greatest risk of mental health problems.”[7]

    The World Health Organisation defines positive mental health as: “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community… Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” [8]

    All the evidence suggests that there are large numbers of young people who need support to develop the skills and resources they need to flourish. But there is still stigma attached to seeking support for mental health. For example, over two thirds of the 17-25 year olds surveyed by YoungMinds in 2010 said it was easier to tell someone they were feeling unwell physically than to say they were feeling distressed or unwell mentally.[9]

    We have partnered with the Nominet Trust to develop a solution that targets young people before they seek help for mental health problems, embedding opportunities to develop emotional control and resilience into a product or service that young people want to use for its own sake.

    Promoting Wellbeing: A practical way to improve public mental health

    Report outlining the prevalence of mental health disorders, those most at risk, and why promoting wellbeing is beneficial.

    Survey of products and services which promote wellbeing

    Featuring products or services designed to facilitate positive mental health habits and activities, either explicitly or implicitly. These are organised by activity they encourage, including mindfulness, gratitudes, awe and optimism.

    Sources

    [1] Mental Health Foundation (2007) The Fundamental Facts. London: Mental Health Foundation
    [2] McCrone et al, (2008) Paying the Price: The cost of mental health care in England to 2026. London: Kings Fund
    [3] Royal College of Psychiatrists (2010) No health without public mental health: The case for action. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists
    [4] Kim-Cohen et al. (2003) Prior juvenile diagnoses in adults with mental disorder: developmental follow-back of a prospective-longitudinal cohort, Archives of General Psychiatry 60(7):709-17
    [5] Kessler et al. (2005) Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry 62(6):593-602
    [6] Bolier et al. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies. BMC Public Health.13:119.
    [7] Scottish Government (2008) Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland: The Future of Mental Health Improvement in Scotland 2008-11. Edinburgh: Scottish Government
    [8] World Health Organisation (2010) Mental health: strengthening our response. Factsheet No 220. Geneva: WHO
    [9] YoungMinds (2010) See Beyond our Labels. London: YoungMinds

    Statistics

    1 in 4 people in Britain will experience mental health problems every year.[1]

    At any one time, 15% of the English population is affected by common mental disorders (CMDs) including depression and anxiety.[2]

    Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), depressive disorders and mixed anxiety and depression are the most prevalent common mental disorders, affecting 5.8m people in England out of a total of 6.1m people suffering from any common mental disorder.[3]

    In a 2007 study it was found that depression and anxiety present a huge economic burden, being responsible for £13.52bn in lost earnings. That’s £8.17bn more than the lost earnings relating to psychotic disorders.[4]

    Half of all cases of mental health disorder start by age 14 and three-quarters by age 25.[3][5]

    25% to 60% of adults with a mental health disorder experienced a conduct and/or oppositional defiant disorder when they were younger.[2][5]

    A major national study of mental health of children and young people in Great Britain in 2004 found that:

    • 1 in 10 young people aged 5 – 16 had a clinically diagnosed mental disorder.

    • Boys are more likely to have a mental disorder than girls.

    • 44% of children with an emotional disorder, and 59% with a conduct disorder were behind in their intellectual development, compared with 24% of children without a disorder.

    • 33% of young people with a conduct disorder had been excluded from school at least once, compared with 2% of other children.

    • 28% of young people between 11-16 who had an emotional disorder, and 21% of those with a conduct disorder said they had tried to harm or kill themselves.[6]

    Preliminary findings suggest that “high cortisol levels [related to stress] in adolescence doubles your risk for developing a serious mood disorder in young adulthood.”[7]

    47% (26% 9-16 yrs and 67% 17-25 yrs) of the 2,629 children and young people interviewed by YoungMinds said it was easier to tell someone if they don’t feel well physically compared with feeling distressed or unwell mentally. This indicates that it is harder to express these feelings as a young person gets older.[8]

    Sources

    [1] Mental Health Foundation (2007) The Fundamental Facts. London: Mental Health Foundation
    [2] Royal College of Psychiatrists (2010) No health without public mental health: The case for action. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists
    [3] Kessler et al. (2005) Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry 62(6):593-602
    [4] McCrone et al, (2008) Paying the Price: The cost of mental health care in England to 2026. London: Kings Fund
    [5] Kim-Cohen et al. (2003) Prior juvenile diagnoses in adults with mental disorder: developmental follow-back of a prospective-longitudinal cohort, Archives of General Psychiatry 60(7):709-17
    [6] Green, H., McGinnity, A., Meltzer, H., et al. (2005). Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain 2004. London: Palgrave
    [7] Ellenbogen, M. et al. (2010) High cortisol levels in the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder during two weeks of daily sampling. Bipolar Disorders, 2010; 12 (1): 77
    [8] YoungMinds (2010) See Beyond our Labels. London: YoungMinds

    The Solution

    Videogames and Wellbeing

    Exploring the role and impact of video games in young people’s lives, how the power of video games can be harnessed in wellbeing interventions and the use of biofeedback in video games and wellbeing interventions.

     

    Following a research phase looking at how video games can be harnessed in wellbeing interventions, we are developing biofeedback videogame that trains young people to manage their emotions in stressful situations using breathing techniques.

    The ability to regulate your breathing has been shown to be associated with improved emotional regulation, reduced stress levels and improved wellbeing. We are designing a video game, targeted at young people, that has breathing training built into the game itself. The more the player can regulate their breathing, the further they can progress in the game – being able to run faster, hide better and jump farther.

    By incorporating breathing training into the game play, and not making the wellbeing benefits explicit to the player, the game will appeal to a wide audience, some of whom may have been put off by any reference to wellbeing, or thinking that the game was a “mental health game”. By making the game fun, immersive and compelling we are also encouraging young people to play the game, and therefore practice breathing, on a regular basis.”

    The game is in early prototype stages and its impact on wellbeing will be tested in September in a school in Billericay, Essex.

    We are very pleased to be working with the following partners on this project:

    • Playlab London – A development studio which specialises in games that produce measurable positive changes

    • 2CV – An international research agency with specialisms in gaming and digital research

    • Complete Coherence Ltd – A leadership development consultancy which specialises in applying cutting edge research in neuroscience, physiology and psychology to improve performance in both business and sport

    Read our latest blog on how video games can use biofeedback to improve wellbeing.

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