Journal / Research
NHS trial at King's College London of Koa Health Foundations
A landmark randomised controlled trial led by King's College London has found that the Koa Foundations smartphone app significantly improves mental health and wellbeing among NHS healthcare workers — offering a scalable, accessible solution to the mental health crisis facing the NHS workforce.
Study overview
The trial, titled "Multicentre, England-wide randomised controlled trial of the 'Koa Foundations' smartphone application in improving mental health and well-being in a healthcare worker population", was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry on 6 September 2022 (DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2022.103).
It is one of the largest digital mental health intervention trials conducted among healthcare workers in the UK.
Methodology
- Design: Multicentre, England-wide randomised controlled trial
- Participants: Over 1,000 NHS healthcare workers recruited from NHS Check — the UK's largest mental health survey of NHS staff conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Intervention: Approximately half of participants were given access to the Koa Foundations smartphone app; the other half formed the control group
- Follow-up: Surveys conducted at 4 weeks and 8 weeks post-enrolment
- Scope: Both clinical and non-clinical staff across NHS trusts in England
Key findings
- Statistically significant improvements in mental health and wellbeing among app users
- Significant reduction in insomnia likelihood
- Significant reduction in behavioural and intellectual distress symptoms
- Greatest benefits observed in women, clinical staff, and younger workers
- Findings are generalisable to the broader UK hospital workforce
Research team
The study was led by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, in collaboration with University College London.
- Sam N. Gnanapragasam — First author
- Professor Sir Simon Wessely — Senior author; Regius Professor of Psychiatry, KCL
- Dr. Ben Carter — Reader and study statistician, KCL
- Professor Rosalind Raine — Co-investigator, UCL Department of Applied Health Research
Quotes
"A smartphone-based mental health solution can overcome some of these traditional barriers to help staff."
— Dr. Sam N. Gnanapragasam
Professor Sir Simon Wessely noted that the app "can be of help" by providing "smartphone-based mental health support" during periods of significant workplace pressure.
Significance
The trial demonstrates that a digital-first, app-based intervention can deliver meaningful mental health benefits at scale across the NHS workforce — without the access barriers associated with traditional in-person mental health services. The results support the wider rollout of Koa Foundations as part of NHS staff wellbeing programmes.
