Talking Points
Partnerships
- Mightier and BetterHelp Business have partnered to bring a whole family solution to the BetterHelp Business’ employers.
- Dependents of employees 5+ are eligible to enroll in the program.
- Employees will have access to the program for the length of their employment or the length that their employer is contracted with BetterHelp Business.
- Employees will sign up for Mightier within the BetterHelp Business portal.
- BetterHelp Business Partnership families who sign up for Mightier will receive access to the Mightier program which includes:
- Access to the Mightier app
- A heart rate monitor (Bluetooth connected)
- Access to the Mightier Caregiver App, which includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-inspired psychoeducational content and tracking of what their child is learning and practicing
- Access to the Mightier Caregiver Community, which is an online, moderated online group for caregivers
- Tools to support offline play and learning that bring Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-informed activities into the home
Product
- Mightier is focused on providing evidenced-based therapeutic games to help children practice coping skills.
- Children learn best through play. Mightier makes learning fun and play-based which yields high engagement and outcomes.
- Mightier has 25+ games that make emotional regulation part of the game.
- Children play at home on their family’s schedule for 45 minutes per week.
- The Bluetooth-connected heart rate monitor lets kids see their emotions as they play.
- Mightier’s Family Care Team provides program and tech support.
- The Mightier Caregiver App provides tracking of the child’s progress and Cognitive
- Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-inspired modules to support their child’s learning.
Clinical Outcomes
- Mightier was tested and validated at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School over 10 years ago.
- Mightier can be used by children who have a formal mental or behavioral health diagnosis or for children who do not have one. 50% of users have a formal diagnosis while the other 50% do not.
- 87% of families see improvements within 90 days.
- Studies have shown that children who use Mightier have a 62% reduction in outbursts.
FAQs
What is Mightier?
Mightier was developed at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, to help children learn how to regulate their emotions. Mightier is an app-based heart rate biofeedback video game designed to teach children emotional regulation skills through play.
How does Mightier work?
When playing Mightier, children wear a wireless, Bluetooth heart rate monitor that pairs with the Mightier app. As children’s heart rate rises during play, the games get harder. Then, children use calming exercises to lower their heart rate and continue playing normally. Mightier helps to elevate the child’s awareness of their emotions and provides them with the skills to lower their heart rate during play. With practice, children begin to be able to more easily use these skills outside of the game and in real-life situations that are difficult for them (i.e. arguments with siblings, anxiety related to school, physical fights with peers, etc.).
What is emotional regulation?
Emotional regulation is the relationship between understanding emotions and reacting to them, the interplay between awareness and instincts. Emotional regulation is not a choice made in the moment, but an ability that develops over time. Mightier turns emotional regulation into a game, allowing children to see their heart rate and explore calming strategies through play. With practice, this turns into a natural, effortless ability to regulate emotions in real-life situations.
What age is Mightier designed for?
Mightier games are designed for children 5-17. Even caregivers love to play! Emotional regulation skills are important for everyone to learn and practice. Some reading of instructions is required, so children who cannot read may need some assistance from a caregiver when first getting started.
Is Mightier evidenced-based?
Mightier is an evidence-based program rooted in research. Mightier was born out of research at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School over ten years ago after several randomized control trials showed fewer outbursts, less oppositional behaviors, and lower parental stress. Read more about Mightier’s research on the Mightier science page.
Does a child need to be in therapy for Mightier to be effective?
Mightier works with or without therapy. 50% of the over 130,000 children who have used Mightier have a formal diagnosis and 50% of those children have not. At any point in a child’s care journey Mightier, and learning emotional regulation skills, can be effective. Without therapy, Mightier has shown measurable improvements in as early as 90 days.
If a family decides to combine Mightier with therapy, there have been studies that have shown faster clinical improvement for children as well as higher engagement in therapy. When used in conjunction with therapy, Mightier also provides a space to practice skills learned in therapy between sessions, making therapy more effective. Learn more on the Mightier science page
How often does a child need to play Mightier?
Based on Mightier’s clinical research and experience serving over 130,0000 families, it is recommended that children play Mightier for at least 45 minutes a week, with the best results when children play 15 minutes, 3 times a week.
There is concern regarding screen time in the family’s home. How can a family balance Mightier and screen time?
To use Mightier, children need to play using a tablet. Today, video games are an important piece of children’s recreational and social lives. At Mightier, the program allows children the opportunity to play while also learning emotional regulation skills.
The recommended Mightier play time is shorter than typical screen time. Mightier recommends that families play only 45 minutes a week (i.e. 3 times a week, for 15 -20 minutes at a time). These play sessions are short, allowing children to get the practice that is needed while also ensuring children and families have time to enjoy other activities that are important to them. It is not recommended that children play more than 3 hours a week of Mightier.
Caregivers can always reach out to the Mightier Family Care Team who are available to support families throughout the program. If a caregiver has questions about balancing screen time or their child’s usage they can email or call the team to talk through and brainstorm ways to use the program more effectively. BetterHelp Business members should email [email protected] for support or call 1-888-978-7495
What are the Mightier games like?
Mightier has a library of games that appeal to experienced and novice gamers alike. Take a look at the ever-evolving library of games to get a sense of the options available.
Mightier is a safe place for children to independently play and learn.
- Mightier’s games are non-violent and child-friendly.
- Mightier does not have any chat features that would allow children to talk with peers or adults.
- Mightier does not share private information or photos.
- Mightier games have a natural end point and children don’t tend to get absorbed without breaks.
Mightier has chosen games that have frequent natural endpoints. The games are also challenging in a different way than children are accustomed to. While playing, the program asks players to practice lowering their heart rate about 1 to 2 times a minute, which takes a lot of focus. This repetition of the cool-down process while playing can take a lot of energy, so some players decide to end on their own after a short play session.
How does a family enroll in Mightier?
All employees who have access to BetterHelp Business will have access to Mightier after signing the contract addendum or after signing up as an employer after the implementation. Employees who would like to enroll their family should navigate to the BetterHelp Business portal, and select “Emotional Wellbeing for Kids.” The employee can read more about Mightier, how the program works, and sign up using the links within the portal.
How long will it take a family to get started?
Once a family signs up, the Mightier kit will arrive within 2-5 days directly to the family’s home.
Contact Information
Partnership Support:
Emily Devlin, LICSW
Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships & Client Success
[email protected]