Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the UK with 1/4 adults experiencing a mental health problem each year (NHS-England). Despite an NHS annual spend in excess of £14.1Bn in 2021, demand for support significantly outstrips supply. Average NHS wait times for example through the Improving-Access-to-Psychological-Therapy (IAPT) programme exceed 18-weeks and, in some cases, up to 12-months depending on region before the start of therapy. This results in many patients being left to tackle conditions such as anxiety and depression alone, often with significant physical/psychological consequences (2/3rds seeing a significant deterioration while waiting). With 1.6M patients currently waiting for treatment through IAPT (70% of people with a diagnosable mental illness in the end receiving no treatment at all), the NHS has placed immediate focus on the use of digital technology to close the "historic treatment gap in mental health provision". However, with tens of thousands of mobile health tools (wellbeing apps, telemedicine services and digital therapeutics) available, selecting those with sufficient evidence base of safety, and effectiveness and identifying the most appropriate for that individual, represents a significant challenge. Combining innovations in the use of AI and data science, the Syndi platform has been designed to address challenges in digital mental health services. It uniquely guides users through clinically-validated diagnostic processes for mental health assessment and using machine learning, it uniquely recommends validated mental health tools and support specific to the individual patient and their condition. The concept and design are fully user-driven, with the registered apps validated by One Mind Psyber Guide (mhealth app review organisation) and covering a range of conditions - each for earlier intervention and significantly improved self-management. In collaboration with the University of Plymouth, Cornwall NHS Trust, and with Innovate UK support, this project aims to better evaluate the impact of Syndi on users' mental health outcomes, explore the potential for patient record integration helping further refine the Algorithm-based recommender systems and identify optimised methodologies for behavioural engagement. If successful, the solution offers significant value in improving the support available to 10M+ adults in the UK suffering with a mental health condition both within and outside of the current care pathway, improving access to support, increased engagement and health outcomes. Future potential in Child mental health where wait times far exceed adult services as well as across wider conditions.

Around 10% of the world's population suffers from mental illness or other behavioural health disorders. In the UK alone, over 10m people now have clinical-level depression and anxiety and have not yet sought care. Last year, 1.5mn people were referred to specialist MH services, provided by the NHS, down from 1.7mn the year before despite the COVID-19 pandemic triggering a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. The [Royal College of Psychatrists][0] also believes that there is a hidden waiting list of patients with 23% having to wait at least another 3 months after their first referral. Due to the overwhelming pressure on the NHS, there is a real risk of people's MH deteriorating as they are left with no support in between appointments. Syndi is looking to support millions of people with MH issues through early intervention and personalised digital support. Through the use of the Syndi self-care navigation platform, we offer a clinically validated assessment process, and internally developed machine learning system that provides independently rated health service recommendations and then an individual or group dashboard that provides awareness of the progress being made against the previous assessment. In order to continue the product and commercial development of Syndi, we are proposing to undertake a project to assess new business models and routes to market as well enabling our future commercialisation plans. This project will be focused on evaluating the feasibility of SME customers to give them the means to better understand the MH situation within their company as well as subsidise the cost of MH services to help them improve their MH and reduce the risk of costly professional services later. We will do this through detailed commercial analysis and outreach as well as in-depth user experience discussions to ensure that the next evolution of our product is fit for the needs of this market segment. Our overall aim of this project is to create new revenue streams for Syndi and to support the reduction of the estimated £56bn (Deloitte, 2022) lost by British businesses every year through lost productivity caused by MH issues. [0]: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/news-and-features/latest-news/detail/2020/10/06/two-fifths-of-patients-waiting-for-mental-health-treatment-forced-to-resort-to-emergency-or-crisis-services