Adults in Scotland Can Now Access Digital Therapeutics for Anxiety and Insomnia
Adults in Scotland’s National Health Service (NHS) now have access to digital treatments for anxiety and insomnia.
Big Health, the inventors of the Daylight and Sleepio apps that will be made available to adults in Scotland, said that their apps are now integrated into NHS systems. Daylight and Sleepio are two examples of apps that are used to assist in the management of mental health issues.
Anxiety is the body’s response to stress, whereas insomnia is a sleep problem that makes falling asleep difficult.
NHS Scotland Gives Adults to Digital Therapeutics
Adults in Scotland now have access to digital treatments for anxiety and insomnia through the NHS. Adults can now use the Sleepio and Daylight apps as part of their NS subscription.
From today, adults in Scotland will have access to digital therapy for anxiety & insomnia, as part of the NHS services.
This combined with traditional services will allow people to access the right treatment at the right time.
➡️https://t.co/xk7uI8IvbC
➡️https://t.co/3KHCDv1SeK pic.twitter.com/EClu3V5t8S— Scot Gov Health (@scotgovhealth) October 13, 2021
“From today, adults in Scotland will have access to digital therapy for anxiety & insomnia, as part of the NHS services,” the Scottish government announced via Twitter.
According to a post on the Twitter account of Big Health, the creator of the apps, the company “is proud to support @scotgov’s world-leading mental health strategy.”
Many Scottish adults in all 14 NHS Scotland health board areas now use the apps to self-refer or contact their GPs for cognitive behavior therapy, per a report by MobiHealthNews.
Last year, five NHS health board areas in Scotland gained access to the applications.
According to MobiHealthNews, “randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicated that 71% of individuals treated with Daylight obtained remission from anxiety, while 76% of patients treated with Sleepio had clinically meaningful sleep improvements.”
Anxiety and Insomnia
According to Healthline, anxiety is the body’s response to stress. There are numerous types of anxiety disorders. Phobias, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder are just a few examples.
Rapid breathing, restlessness, elevated heart rate, difficulty falling asleep, and difficulty concentrating are all symptoms of general worry.
Insomnia, on the other hand, is defined by WebMD as “a sleep problem in which you have difficulty sleeping and/or staying asleep.” Insomnia can be a temporary or chronic condition. Acute insomnia, also known as short-term insomnia, can persist from one night to a few weeks. According to WebMD, chronic insomnia might occur three times a week.
Insomnia symptoms include irritation, difficulty getting asleep, waking up earlier than usual, and difficulty concentrating.
Using Apps to deal with Mental Health Issues
Access to the Daylight and Sleepio applications by NHS Scotland is the latest example of how apps are being used to detect, manage, and potentially cure mental health difficulties.
Another example is the Moodbeam Wellness app, which is capable of detecting changes in emotional and physical states. Last year, HearMe released an app to assist people in coping with the pandemic and isolation by providing emotional support.
