Three in four mental illnesses start in childhood [1]. Yet, 75 per cent of young people with mental health problems are not receiving the treatment they need [2]. New digital health company Oh My Mood UK wants to shake up mental health provision by introducing a ‘blended care’ approach to make mental health care more effective and easily accessible.
As a mental health interventions provider, Oh My Mood develops blended care pathways, where digital solutions support face-to-face therapies. This approach improves the quality of care and makes mental health therapy scalable and more efficient. It additionally eases the strain on care practitioners without adding pressure on NHS budgets.
The company will work with clinicians, universities and digital health platforms globally to make evidence-based blended care pathways available to large audiences of mental health therapists and service users.
Jaime Essed is the founder of Oh My Mood and has over 12 years’ experience working in the health sector. Previously, he was international manager at TelePsy, a Dutch digital health platform, where he successfully led its international expansion into the German and UK markets. In 2005, he co-founded Lionarons GGZ, a Dutch mental health clinic that currently employs 110 people.
Jaime Essed, founder of Oh My Mood, said: “An increased awareness of mental health has given rise to the number of people seeking help. Unfortunately, the mental health system struggles to cope and we are seeing longer waiting lists and more people being turned away.
“In mental health, digital solutions should support face-to-face therapies, not replace them. We are on a mission to improve the quality of care for mental health service users without putting decreasing budgets under more strain.”
The company has chosen the North West of England as its base because the region provides easy access to some of the UK’s best research universities. Oh My Mood’s main operations will run from the Innovation Centre in the Liverpool Science Park in Liverpool, as well as an office in Manchester.
Essed adds: “The North West is a great location for building and growing our company nationally and globally. The region will give us access to some of the best research & development teams in the country, while costs are relatively low in comparison with cities in the south of England. We have ambitious plans and expect to build a team of 50 employees within the next five years.”
Matt Biagetti, investment manager at Invest Liverpool, said: “I’m very excited to see Oh My Mood locate in Liverpool. I know the company has looked thoroughly at locations across the UK, so this is a clear demonstration of the attraction that Liverpool has for companies working in healthcare. Liverpool has the perfect environment for collaboration, business growth and international connections. I look forward to working with Jaime and the team at Oh My Mood.”
George Barclay, business developer co-ordinator at Liverpool Science Park, adds: “We welcome Oh My Mood to our science park. Digital health companies benefit from close collaboration and strategic partnerships with academic R&D departments. For that reason, we have built a purpose-built environment to make it as easy as possible for organisations to succeed. We look forward to seeing Oh My Mood grow and thrive.”
1 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer 2012, Our Children Deserve Better: Prevention Pays
2 Children’s Commissioner, Lightning Review: Access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, May 2016
