Case study

Transforming access to digital mental health support for children and young people

Sector:

Public Health, Mental Health

Challenge:

Identifying safe, effective mental health apps for young people

Solution:

Curated digital app library of safe tools for young people

Overview

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (MHRIC) and ORCHA, has launched a dedicated digital mental health app directory for children and young people across Cheshire and Merseyside.

The platform aims to improve access to safe, trusted, and effective digital tools, supporting young people, families, and clinicians from the earliest point of need.

The challenge

With thousands of mental health apps available, it can be difficult for young people, parents, and professionals to identify which are safe, appropriate, and effective. At the same time:

Demand for children and young people’s mental health services continues to rise
Waiting times can delay access to support
Early intervention and self-management are critical to improving outcomes

This created a need for a trusted, assured digital solution that could provide immediate support while complementing existing CAMHS services.

The solution

The partnership developed a co-designed digital app directory, shaped by direct input from children and young people through workshops and surveys.

Key features include:

A dedicated online platform signposting to safe, evidence-based mental health apps
Coverage across a wide range of needs, including anxiety, low mood, sleep, eating disorders, and neurodivergence
Apps assessed by ORCHA against 350+ criteria, including clinical safety, data security, and usability

There are thousands of mental health apps available and it can be difficult to know which ones are safe or appropriate, especially if you are a young person. This is why we’re excited to develop a new online directory that features mental health apps that have been assessed against robust safety criteria, providing reassurance to young people, parents, carers and health professionals.

Dr Elizabeth Camacho

Co-lead Investigator, MRIC

Embedding into Care Pathways

The platform supports children and young people from the point of referral into CAMHS, offering immediate access to digital tools alongside traditional care.

Partnership Impact

The collaboration brings together clinical expertise, research, and digital assurance to deliver a safe and scalable solution.

“Through our partnership with Mersey Care CAMHS and M-RIC, we’re helping families, clinicians, and young people access digital tools that meet robust standards for safety, quality, and effectiveness.” Stephanie Lord, Lead Account Manager at ORCHA

This partnership demonstrates how co-designed, clinically assured digital tools can transform access to mental health support for children and young people. By combining research, clinical leadership, and ORCHA’s rigorous app assessment, the platform is already showing strong early engagement and has the potential to significantly improve outcomes across the region.

Early Engagement & Impact

Early indicators over the first three months show strong engagement:

Over 3,000 individual visits to the platform
More than 160 mental health app downloads
Positive engagement from young people exploring digital support options

These results highlight a growing demand for trusted, accessible digital mental health support.

Why This Matters

Provides safe, immediate support for young people

Reduces uncertainty around app choice

Supports early intervention and self-management

Enhances CAMHS pathways without replacing clinical care

Our goal is to make sure children, young people and families accessing our CAMHS services receive the support they need from the very first point of referral, including access to digital intervention for mental health. This new online directory is a useful additional tool… while they wait for treatment.

Dr Ashish Kumar

Clinical Director, Mersey Care