Big Health shows benefits of Daylight, joins CVS

Big Health, the digital mental health company, has joined the CVS Health Point Solutions Management Program following publication of clinical trial results for Daylight, its anxiety app.

In a randomised controlled trial conducted with the University of Oxford’s Sleep & Circadian Neuroscience Institute, Daylight was found to significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety in trial participants. At ten weeks after intervention, 71% of Daylight users achieved remission of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) compared with 33% of the control group. 256 participants with moderate to severe symptoms of GAD took part in the trial.

Anxiety affects more than 40 million Americans every year. GAD, which is characterized by excessive worry and anxiety and is accompanied by unwanted physical symptoms and interference in functioning, affects 5-6% of the population in the UK and US. The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to increase rates of stress and anxiety.

The development of Daylight came through collaboration with anxiety experts from Boston University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Oxford and University of Texas, Austin. The product seeks to teach individuals how to respond to negative thoughts, use their body to reduce stress and tension, and face their fears directly. 

Daylight is Big Health’s second product following Sleepio, which is designed to improve sleep. The two products are now available to employers and other plan sponsors through CVS Caremark’s Point Solutions Management program. The program is intended to assist sponsors in delivering digital health solutions to their members.

Big Health was founded in 2010 by Colin Espie and Peter Hames. In June 2020, the company closed a $39 million Series B funding round led by Gilde Healthcare and Morningside Ventures with participation from existing investors Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Octopus Ventures and Samsung NEXT.