Estonian health technology startup Triumf Health that has created a mobile game platform for pediatric patients launched an extension to the platform to relieve the effect of COVID-19 crisis on children. The free public health app Triumf Health (Open) has been made available to all children aged 7-14 in Estonia and the UK, irrespective of their health condition, to offer immediate psychological support and deliver validated information on the virus.
The content, which addresses common concerns and includes topics such as how to protect oneself and others, and how to self-manage during the outbreak has been created by child psychologists and health care experts. Triumf Health (Open) application is available for free on Google Play in Estonian, English and Russian. To play the game, registration of email is needed so an individual licence code can be allocated. The game will soon also become available on App Store and new languages will be added.
The personal support delivered through the health game aims to prevent and/or lessen the development of mental health issues caused by the changes related to COVID-19. The game environment is a safe and intuitive medium through which children can learn and acquire new knowledge related to health behaviours, emotions, emotion regulation, problem solving and self-management. Triumf’s digital intervention helps kids understand their active role in their own health and well-being. Evidence on the health game was published last year based on clinical trials amongst pediatric cancer patients in the Tartu University Hospital and Tallinn’s Children Hospital. Ongoing clinical trials are currently taking place in Estonia, Finland and Singapore – the research findings will be published this year.
Addressing children’s mental health – why is it important?
The emergency situation caused by coronavirus creates stress and uncertainty. Social distancing and restrictions have limited everyday communication and increased pressure on families. However, anxiety and confusion does not only affect adults. For children, too, everyday life and routine has changed entirely – schools are closed, extracurricular activities stopped and meeting with friends is not possible. Moreover, children are exposed to a large amount of information through social media and news that can cause worry or fear, also because they might not be able to distinguish false information from trustworthy. At the same time, it is understandably difficult for parents to support their children due to their own stretched resources. Finding relief for worries through traditional channels is further complicated by the fact that health care services in the current situation are limited.
The World Health Organisation has stated that an increase in mental health issues amongst children due to coronavirus is expected, and calls for action to increase access to psychological care services. Supporting children and young people is of prime importance as more than half of mental health issues develop by adolescence. Evidence-based digital health tools offer an alternative method by which to prevent the development of psychological problems amongst kids and offer comprehensive and personalised support.
Before playing, register:(EST): https://bit.ly/2RUR1SL
(RUS): https://bit.ly/2yVsWUW
(ENG): https://bit.ly/2wFgLLe
Download the game from Google Play
About Triumf Health
Triumf Health is an Estonian health technology company that was created to provide age-appropriate psychological and behavioural support to children through a novel game environment. The algorithm based digital intervention allows to deliver psychological care to thousands of young people, irrespective of location. Founded by a health psychologist Dr Kadri Haljas, Triumf Health team consists of mental health professionals, behaviour change and machine learning experts, developers, and business as well as financial advisors. In 2019, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology named Triumf Health among two best digital health companies in Europe. Further information can be found https://triumf.health
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