Clinical area: Mental health - Digital tools to provide psychological therapies for people with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) as part of community mental health services, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

Why:

• The phrase severe mental illness (SMI) refers to people with psychological problems that are often so debilitating that their ability to engage in functional and occupational activities is severely impaired.
• Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and severe mood disorders are often referred to as SMI.
• Findings from a government study into SMI and physical health inequalities found that SMI patients aged 15 to 34 are 5 times more likely to have 3 or more physical health conditions and this health inequality reduces with age.
• This opportunity focuses on digital tools that provide psychological therapies for on-going care.

Products in scope:

Digital health technologies should meet the following criteria:

• Are intended for use by people of all age ranges.
• Technology can be used to support people with a range of serious mental illness.
• Technology can be used as part of community mental services.
• Meet the standards within the digital technology assessment criteria (DTAC), including the criteria to have a CE or UKCA mark where required.
• Products may also be considered if they are actively working towards required CE or UKCA mark, have been deployed in a small number (2-10) of NHS sites or comparable clinical providers internationally.

If your product is in development, the NHS Innovation Service can help support you meet these standards and other requirements.

Further information:

If you have an innovation that meets that need, create an NHS Innovation Service account and fill in your innovation record to start receiving support for this innovation.