IT4Anxiety aims to support the implementation of innovative solutions through start-ups with the objective of reducing the anxiety of patients suffering from mental disorders.
Technological innovations give new perspectives in many domains, including health. It was in this context that the IT4Anxiety project was born bringing together mental health professionals and startups, but also universities, research centers, higher education establishments and public authorities.
The project focuses more specifically on the creation and implementation of innovative solutions, in particular those related to digital technology, with the objective of reducing the anxiety of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer‘s disease) or post-traumatic stress disorder. These mental illnesses affect a growing number of patients in North-West Europe, due to ageing population trends.
Such innovative and technological solutions can also effectively complement conventional medical protocols. This is what we call "blended therapies", which are at the heart of the approach being developed via a number of work packages and activities in the IT4Anxiety project.
In the end, we plan to co-create and implement 10 innovative solutions validated by mental health professionals and public organizations that will address the needs of around 3,000 patients facing anxiety disorders. The 15 startups involved in the project are expected to contribute to the creation of around 50 new jobs. In addition almost a thousand mental health professionals will benefit from our training systems.
The project has developed a number of documents useful for sustainable implementation of eMental Health tools in mental health care and a clinical testing framework for digital tools. You can access these documents on the website IT4Anxiety.