BOSTON, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mightier,
provider of a ground-breaking, clinically-proven video game system
for teaching children emotional regulation, today released results
of a first of its kind pilot program that studied the impact of
using Mightier's video game platform to support treatment of
children with Autism.
Mightier collaborated with Magellan Healthcare, the behavioral
and specialty healthcare segment of Magellan Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:
MGLN), to provide families access to the Mightier program during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed 81% of children who played
Mightier in conjunction with applied behavior analysis (ABA) had
parents report behavioral improvement, compared to 55% of parents
reporting behavioral improvement from ABA alone, representing a 45%
improvement in symptoms for children with autism. To realize this
improvement, children played as little as one hour per week for
three months. Most notably, adding Mightier to ABA reduced
aggressive behavior in children with autism by over twice as much
compared to ABA alone, and led to reductions in stress for parents
and families.
"It is important to understand families as a whole, and to not
only look at children's symptoms when deploying an intervention.
Families using Mightier reported decreased stress, an increase in
confidence, and an increase in access to resources relative to
control – gains that point to improvements for the child as well as
higher functionality for parents and families," said Matthew Miller, senior vice president,
behavioral health, Magellan Healthcare.
Used in the home, Mightier's innovative technology was developed
at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard
Medical School. The program combines 25 video games with an
integrated heart rate monitoring band, allowing kids to see their
heart rate fluctuate as they face challenges within the game. As
the child's heart rate increases, children are prompted to apply
coping skills, such as deep breathing, to help manage their stress
and frustration.
"Mightier is a proven way to help children build emotional
regulation skills, especially those who have a tough time with
tantrums, anger, aggression, irritability and feelings of anxiety.
It is immediate and scalable, meaning families get help right in
the moment of need, and avoid the wait associated with starting new
services. This is particularly important in the wake of the
pandemic as demands for mental health care rise and there is
a shortage of providers," said Jason Kahn Ph.D., chief science
officer and co-founder of Mightier.
Earlier this year, Mightier announced a two-year NIMH-funded
research project that will examine the impact of the Mightier games
on improving the lives of children with a broader range of
disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder
(ODD). Enrollment is now underway throughout the Magellan network.
Two hundred members with a wide variety of mental health conditions
are expected to be recruited.
"Mightier can successfully engage children and augment care in
ways that were not previously possible," said Miller. "Magellan is
continuously incorporating innovative strategies into treatment
routines and Mightier is one of those examples."
For more information on the Mightier-Magellan Healthcare pilot
program visit: https://www.mightier.com/asdpilot/
About Mightier: Mightier is a Boston-based startup on a mission to
empower every child to build emotional strength. Mightier pairs
video games with clinically validated strategies to build emotional
resilience and confidence. The approach is backed by a decade of
clinical research at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and has been shown to reduce
outbursts by 62 percent, oppositional behavior by 40 percent, and
family stress by 19 percent. For more information, visit
Mightier.com.
About Magellan Healthcare: Magellan Healthcare, Inc., the
healthcare business unit of Magellan Health, Inc., offers solutions
for complex conditions in the areas of behavioral health, and
medical specialty treatment. Magellan Healthcare serves commercial
health plans, employers, state and local governments, and the
Federal government, including the Department of Defense. For more
information, visit MagellanHealthcare.com.
About Magellan Health: Magellan Health, Inc., is a leader
in managing the fastest growing, most complex areas of health,
including special populations, complete pharmacy benefits and other
specialty areas of healthcare. Magellan supports innovative ways of
accessing better health through technology, while remaining focused
on the critical personal relationships that are necessary to
achieve a healthy, vibrant life. Magellan's customers include
health plans and other managed care organizations, employers, labor
unions, various military and governmental agencies and third-party
administrators. For more information, visit MagellanHealth.com.
Media Contact:
Andrea LePain
eMedia Junction
andrea@emediajunction.com
617-275-8112
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SOURCE Mightier