Public Funding for Method X Studios Limited

Mental ill health is an increasingly apparent problem across society. According to MIND, the mental health of the UK population has deteriorated during COVID-19 and the levels of mental health are expected to worsen during the return to work and subsequent deep recession. The bulk of mental health solutions in the market are designed for the 10% of the population who already have the necessary resources to invest in self-improvement, exacerbating existing health inequalities. Wakey, a breakfast show app that Method X Studios launched in 2020, is focused on the other 90%: the first step to make good mental health information accessible to everyone and to end the mental health poverty gap. Wakey delivers a 9-minute morning edu-tainment show that speaks to the audience. While there is a strong emphasis on entertainment, the show's content is theory and evidence led, drawing on approaches from cognitive and third-wave psychotherapies and positive psychology interventions. Our vision at Method X Studios is to create a multidimensional smartphone-based edu-tainment platform that provides free mental health content. This entails a holistic approach that goes beyond morning, offering a bedtime feature and in general, a more personalised approach tailored to people's needs. Our approach of combining mental health information with entertainment, in order to engage the audience makes it unique, as majority of existing mental health apps have the problem of low engagement. As a result, we increase people's mental health literacy, help to build resilience and emotional wellbeing that in long term supports desired behaviour change.