Daylight – a new digital therapy app available for people in Forth Valley

Daylight, released in 2019 is an app relying on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and is now available for people in Forth Valley to help with anxiety and worries.

The app uses CBT to guide the patient through exercises to help with problematic thoughts, behaviours, and responses to worry and anxiety. Online CBT has proven to be effective in the treatment of different mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Big Health released their first app in 2012 called Sleepio, which also uses CBT. After huge success and over 12 million users, Big Health released their second app. NHS and social care staff have free access to Sleepio and Daylight. In partnership with the Scottish Government, NHS Forth Valley is one of the first health boards to extend access to the public.

NHS Forth Valley released a statement saying that: “Accessing support through the new Daylight app early on should help people develop helpful ways to deal with worry and prevent the worsening of symptoms and the need for referral to specialist services, it also encourages people to self manage their condition.”

In addition, DR Sally Rankine, NHS Forth Valley’s Head of Adult Mental Health Psychology, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer Big Health’s cognitive behavioural therapy app Daylight free to people across Forth Valley, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown leading to an increase in worry for many people.”

Daylight is available to people over 18. It can be accessed on a website or it can be downloaded as an app. No referrals are needed to use the app.