FLIKK in prestigious scientific journal

The FLIKK project recently had a paper published in the prestigious scientific journal Child and Adolescent Mental Health. FLIKK, a parent-supported internet treatment for anxious children, is an internet-based treatment for children experiencing anxiety. It is designed for parents and other caregivers of children aged 5–12.

“It is a great recognition for the research project to have the experience from FLIKK published in such a respected international scientific journal as Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The focus is not only on what the treatment involves, but also on how evidence-based treatment can be successfully integrated into real-world healthcare.

This publication helps us share this knowledge with professionals and researchers around the world and demonstrates that experience from Iceland can have value far beyond our small healthcare system,” says Brynjar Halldórsson, associate professor at the Department of Psychology at Reykjavik University and lead of the FLIKK team.

Those interested can read the paper here.

Pioneering treatment and easy access for parents

Pioneering treatment and easy access for parents

The FLIKK treatment was developed by experts in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children at the University of Reading and the University of Oxford, and was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Icelandic version of the treatment was developed by experts in childhood anxiety at RU, with funding from the Ministry of Health.

“The FLIKK project demonstrates that digital mental health solutions have limited impact if their implementation is not considered as carefully as the intervention itself. What makes FLIKK pioneering is not only the treatment itself, but also how parents of anxious children gain access to it.

Parents can apply for access to the treatment directly online, without a referral from a healthcare professional. They then receive a short call from a clinical psychologist at a primary healthcare centre, who assesses whether the intervention is suitable for the family.

The aim is to make the first step as simple as possible, without compromising clinical assessment or safety. In this way, the service is integrated into primary healthcare itself, rather than being a standalone digital intervention that families have to find and navigate on their own,” Brynjar says about the project.