NHS to prescribe 'app therapy' for children with mild depression

NICE recommends use of programs on smartphones for young people aged five to eight

Children as young as five will be able to get help for mild depression through apps on their smartphones after the NHS's treatment advisers recommended the use of such devices in their care.

Under-18s in England and Wales will in future be able to use digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) through mobile phones and computers to help them manage their feelings of low mood. It will help them avoid potentially long delays to see a therapist and reduce the pressure on NHS child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), according to new guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).