A new phone app called Buddy is being used by mental health service providers to help patient wellbeing
Via text, patients use the app to keep a daily diary of what they are doing and how they’re feeling. The aim is to help them spot and reinforce positive behaviours.
The app is being used in several London boroughs and also in the north-west of England, for patients with depression and anxiety disorders, as part of services for early intervention in psychosis, and for military veterans with mental health needs.
Buddy allows the user and therapist to work together to set goals and agree timely SMS reminders to prompt the user.
The scheme is supported by the NHS London Regional Innovation Fund and the innovation charity Nesta, and was developed by design company Sidekick Studios in association with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust – the largest provider of mental health services in Britain.
