Virtual reality application to aid self-management of people awaiting treatment for mental health conditions/symptoms [Auxilium]

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In 2021, the number of people waiting for community mental health care reached 1.2m, with the NHS missing several targets. NHS England data found the figure for those waiting for a mental health follow-up appointment or learning disability service at the end of 2021-22 had increased from 1.08m at the end of October 2021\. The service also failed to meet its goal of getting 1.6m patients into "talking therapy" services, also called IAPT, which are aimed at treating people with mild to moderate depression (only 1.2m started sessions last year). These waiting lists enhance the sense of loneliness and frustration felt by patients, with an alarming 25% of mental health waiting list patients attempting suicide due to their frustration with the system.SyncVR Medical UK Ltd (hereafter SyncVR) aims to improve healthcare with extended reality (XR) including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), underpinned by its proprietary XR healthcare platform, which enables the company to deliver its own applications and host third parties (similar to Netflix). Sync-VR has created several successful mindfulness focused applications which are currently being used in over 100 hospitals across Europe, including 10 NHS trusts, including a mental health trust, helping patients to decrease pain, anxiety, and medication.Through this project, SyncVR and South London & Maudsley NHS Trust (SLAM) will create the world's first mood management virtual application (named Auxilium) to be used on virtual reality (VR) headsets for supporting high risk patients waiting for mental health care. Auxilium will be the world's first VR application underpinned with mindfulness and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) elements, which have previously been shown to be effective for patients in crisis and suffering from mood instabilities.Auxilium will go beyond other existing solutions by enabling users to practice mood management strategies in a relaxing and immersive environment. The application will teach patients useful coping and mood management skills to manage their emotions while they wait for therapy. It will also help them feel more prepared for therapy when they encounter it and improve their overall healthcare experience.Furthermore, Auxilium will help reduce the enormous economic burden presented by mental health problems, which currently cost the UK economy ~£118bn annually (~5% GDP). The cutting-edge VR application will enable mental health patients to better self-manage their condition, in turn reducing sick days, loss of productivity due to absenteeism, and costs to the healthcare systems worldwide.