Mindset Health, an Australia-based digital therapeutics startup, has announced its latest digital therapeutics service to help people quit smoking within one month.
Founded in 2018, Mindset Health develops a range of hypnosis-based DTx apps. Its first product, Nerva, is a digital hypnotherapy solution aimed at treating irritable bowel syndrome.
What is it about?
The company’s latest product is the DTx app, which uses hypnosis to help people quit smoking. Available for iOS and Android devices, the app, called Finito, offers a four-week program that includes daily 15-minute self-hypnosis sessions, educational reading material, and smoking cessation tools. This is followed by a reinforcement program to help users maintain results beyond the four weeks. The DTx program is said to be ideal for people who have tried to quit smoking but have started smoking again.
Why is this important?
In 2020-2021, the National Health Survey found that one in ten (10.7%) Australians aged 18 and over smoked daily, with men more likely to smoke daily than women. The 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that people living in remote areas were more likely to smoke one puff daily compared to those living in major cities. Smoking is also one of the leading causes of cancer in the country, accounting for 44% of the cancer burden.
More than half of adult smokers worldwide tried to quit last year, but only 8% were successful in quitting for 6-12 months. Research shows that quitting smoking A maximum of 30 attempts are allowed before a successful termination occurs.
Finito helps people quit smoking within a month using hypnotherapy that addresses the underlying reasons why they smoke in the first place. “Hypnotherapy is similar to meditation, but it focuses on health outcomes,” said Alex Naomidis, co-founder of Mindset Health.
past According to a study cited by Mindset Health, hypnotherapy can be 10 times more effective at helping people quit smoking than quitting without support. Hypnotherapy helps people quit smoking by activating areas of the brain associated with attention, motivation and feelings of happiness.
Market Snapshot
Another Japanese startup is also developing a similar smoking cessation DTx app, and in 2020, CureApp received approval from the Japanese government for a smoking cessation treatment drug. CureApp SC is a prescription nicotine addiction treatment app and carbon monoxide checker. That same year, the World Health Organization collaborated with Soul Machines to pair an AI-powered virtual assistant with nicotine replacement therapy.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand last year, the Health Promotion Agency Facebook Messenger chatbot helps young Māori women quit smoking. The support tool sends users daily messages, distractions and encouragement for 30 days.
Be on record
“Self-hypnosis makes it easier to quit smoking – it has a relaxing effect and improves the quality of sleep, and studies show that multi-session programs like Finito are the most effective,” Dr Gary Elkins, renowned hypnosis researcher, said in a statement about the launch of Finito.
