Magellan Healthcare Launches Clinically Proven Video Game Solution To Support Emotional Health For Youth

Collaboration with Mightier aims to help kids learn through play and offers online community of support for caregivers

Magellan Healthcare, the behavioral health and specialty division of Magellan Health, Inc.,  announced it is now offering Mightier, a clinically-proven biofeedback video game for teaching children emotional regulation, to health plans and employers. The digital platform has been proven to improve behavior in children and lower household stress for families. This launch advances Magellan’s digital transformation that is increasing access to quality care through innovative, evidence-based solutions.

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Developed at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, the Mightier program is intended for use by children ages 6 to 14 struggling with irritability, aggression, and anger, as well as children diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and general anxiety disorder. Mightier pairs video games with clinically validated emotion-calming skills to help children learn through play. In addition to the video game platform, caregivers are supported with a personalized dashboard to track progress, access to the Mightier caregiver community, and 1-1 coaching with a licensed, master’s-level clinician to tailor the program to their individual family needs.

“This new solution supports Magellan’s commitment to reinvent the healthcare experience through digital tools that help members [in their efforts to achieve] [on their journey to achieve] [as they seek to build] thriving lives, resilient minds and healthy bodies,” said Yagnesh Vadgama, BCBA, vice president, clinical care services autism, Magellan Healthcare. “Through this collaboration with Mightier, we are empowering children to build emotional strength with cost-effective, outcomes-based treatment they can access in the comfort of their own homes.”

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The program can be used wherever the family is located and combines video games with an integrated heart rate monitoring band, allowing children to see their heart rate fluctuate as they face challenges within the game. As the child’s heart rate increases, they are prompted to apply coping skills, such as deep breathing, to help manage their stress and frustration. Results from Magellan’s first pilot with Mightier showed that 80% of children with ASD who used Mightier reported improvement of primary symptoms, compared to only 50% in the control group, after 12 weeks of use. The pilot group also experienced the following relative to the control group:

• Twice as much decrease in aggressive behaviors
• 50% greater reduction in family stress
• 114% greater improvement in caregiver confidence and access to support

Magellan also continues to collaborate with Mightier on research with a second study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

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