OG App is ORCHA Approved

We’re thrilled to announce that our new wellbeing app for children & young people has been approved by The Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA).

ORCHA is a respected authority in the assessment of health and care apps and digital health products and plays a pivotal role in shaping the digital health landscape. They not only evaluate digital health solutions but also contribute to their delivery, and develop assessments for national bodies including the NHS.

ORCHA’s endorsement signifies a significant milestone for the OUR Generation app, which only launched in May 2023. The app achieved a very high score of 81% against the ORCHA Baseline Review.
It will now be included within a library of approved healthcare apps accessible to healthcare providers. All Apps in this library undergo rigorous testing and assessment by ORCHA’s expert team to ensure their safety and efficacy, and ORCHA reports that 75% of health apps fail to pass their review process.

The OUR Generation app was developed by lead partner Action Mental Health in collaboration with researchers at Ulster University’s School of Psychology and the University’s School of Computing.
The app aims to support children & young people’s learning about mental health and wellbeing. It is designed as a game, featuring levels with activities relating to mental health and wellbeing, coping and problem-solving skills, perspective taking, empathy and intergroup contact & trust.

Prof. Maurice Mulvenna of the AI Research Centre at Ulster University’s School of Computing was involved in the app’s design and development. He said:

“It’s fantastic news that we’ve received ORCHA’s seal of approval and high score. The OUR Generation App will provide a fun, free, safe, and engaging way for children, young people, and emerging adults to tackle their worries on mental health and wellbeing, so they can build resilience, gain confidence, and thrive.”

David Babington, Chief Executive of Action Mental Health welcomed the news and said:

“We’re immensely proud of this recognition from ORCHA and believe that this endorsement will further enhance the OUR Generation app’s credibility and value within the healthcare community. For many years, Action Mental Health has been working to give children and young people the skills they need to look after their mental health through traditional programmes, so I am delighted to see this support developing digitally.”

Gina McIntyre, Chief Executive of the SEUPB, said:

“The OUR Generation app is a tremendous example of how the power of new technologies can be utilised to deliver better health outcomes for our young people, both now and in the future. The PEACE IV funding programme has been instrumental in helping to support this type of innovation and creative problem solving across key sectors.”

 

The OUR Generation app is free and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple Store. Find out more here.