Voda

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Voda

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NHS problem

52% of LGBTQIA+ people have experienced depression in the past year, and for anxiety, this figure rises to 61%. Moreover, the LGBTQIA+ community are twice as likely as our heterosexual counterparts to develop a mental health condition.

The NHS faces overwhelming demand for mental health access from the public, evident from the long wait-times for mental health access and initial referrals. Private therapy remains inaccessible to most.

Voda is building a LGBTQIA+ mental health solution that is accessible, affordable, and inclusive.

The solution

Voda provides self-guided digital therapy programmes derived from mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), one of the most effective evidence-backed treatments for anxiety and depression.

Unlike other digital wellness apps, Voda’s programmes are designed by and for the LGBTQIA+ community. Our sexuality and gender-affirming programs tackle issues such as coming out, internalised shame, dating apps and relationships, and substance misuse from a queer perspective.

Impact

Voda ran our private beta with 500+ early adopters between February to May 2022 to test the safety and improved the efficacy of our self-guided therapy programmes. We also ran a small study tracking LGBTQIA+ participants over 4 weeks as they used Voda’s mindfulness and CBT programmes, seeing a 43.76% reduction in clinical symptoms of anxiety (GAD7) and a 40.06% reduction in clinical symptoms of depression (PHQ9) amongst the participants.

Since October 2022, Voda is now available for iOS and Android devices. We are adding new programmes on managing substance misuse, managing comedowns, dealing with stress, and dealing with low moods.