Pesky gNATs is designed to help mental health professionals deliver CBT interventions to young people. It combines gaming and mobile technology with the CBT content to support evidence-based interventions with young people aged 9-17.
CMH members: David Coyle
In 2014 David Coyle and Gary O’Reilly founded Handaxe CIC, a not-for-profit company, in the belief that technologies can support mental health services, but only if it is widely available. Handaxe aimed to make its technologies available free of charge, or at the lowest possible cost. Pesky gNATs was the first product developed by Handaxe. It is a computer game and mobile app that implements core elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and supports clinical interventions for young adolescents experiencing depression and anxiety. We also provide online training for mental health professionals who wish to use our software.
Pesky gNATs has been used by health services in Ireland and the UK, including NHS trusts and HSE services. Further details of Pesky gNATs are available at the Pesky gNATs website. Therapists can also use this site to register for and access the software.
Key publications:
McCashin, D., Coyle, D., & O’Reilly, G. (2022). Pesky gNATs for children experiencing low mood and anxiety–A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of technology-assisted CBT in primary care. Internet interventions, 27, 100489. (doi)
McCashin D, Coyle D, O’Reilly G (2020) A qualitative evaluation of Pesky gNATs in primary care – the experiences of assistant psychologists providing computer-assisted CBT to children experiencing low mood and anxiety. Internet Interventions. 2020, 100348, (doi)
McCashin D, Coyle D, O’Reilly G. (2019) Children’s experiences with technology-assisted cognitive behavioural therapy: A Qualitative Synthesis. J Med Internet Res 2019;21(11):e13540. (doi)
van der Meulen H, McCashin D, O’Reilly G, Coyle D. (2019) Using Computer Games to Support Mental Health Interventions: Naturalistic Deployment Study. JMIR Ment Health 2019;6(5):e12430. (doi)
Coyle, D., McGlade, N., Doherty, G. & O’Reilly, G. (2011) Exploratory Evaluations of a Computer Game Supporting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Adolescents. ACM CHI 2011, full paper pp2937-2946. (pdf) DOI link.
Key collaborators:
Gary O’Reilly
Daragh McCashin
Ben Trewhella
The initial development of Pesky gNats was supported by the NHS Enterprise East through the SBRI Healthcare. It is also generously supported by University College Dublin and the University of Bristol. Development of the game would not have been possible without our long-term collaboration with the Ben Trewhella and Opposable Games.