Health teams in Shropshire are introducing a mobile phone game aimed at helping children cope with anxiety. The intergalactic-themed app, Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage, will be offered via Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (CAMHS STW) to young people aged seven to 12 who are finding worries hard to manage.
What the new offer involves
The game is designed to encourage children to reflect on their feelings, build emotional resilience and learn practical strategies to manage worry. CAMHS STW has said the digital therapy will form part of plans to develop and widen their services over the coming three years.
- Tool: Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage (mobile game)
- Provider: CAMHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin
- Target age: 7–12 years
- Purpose: Support for anxiety, resilience-building and reflecting on feelings
Local implications
For parents and carers in Shropshire this marks another route into support for younger children who face anxiety but may not yet need—or are unable to access—face-to-face therapy. Digital options can remove some practical barriers such as travel, appointment timing and waiting lists, while offering a child-friendly way to learn coping skills.
CAMHS leaders say the move aims to make help more accessible and to provide earlier intervention, potentially reducing the need for more intensive services later on. That approach aligns with wider national and local priorities to make mental health support available earlier in a child’s life.
"The new digital therapy will help deliver easier access and earlier help," said Cathy Riley, managing director of CAMHS STW.
How it may work in practice
Clinicians are increasingly using approved apps and interactive tools alongside conventional care. In practice, the game will be offered through CAMHS pathways, meaning clinicians and local teams will identify children for whom the intervention is suitable and discuss it with families as part of a care plan.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Lumi Nova: Tales of Courage (mobile game) |
| Provider | CAMHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin |
| Age range | 7–12 years |
| Planned roll-out | As part of CAMHS development over the next three years |
While digital approaches are welcomed by many families, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some children will still require face-to-face therapy, assessment or specialist interventions. Local health teams will need to monitor how the game works for different children and ensure it complements rather than replaces direct clinical support where that is needed.
For Shropshire parents considering this option, it will be important to discuss the game with your child’s clinician or GP and to ask about how it will be used as part of a wider plan for care. CAMHS STW’s statement indicates a conscious effort to broaden support options across the county and neighbouring borough, with an emphasis on reaching families earlier when worries first appear.
