Who are we?
We are stem4, the UK’s leading digital mental health charity for children and young people. We offer a suite of 5 evidence-based mental health apps that support various mental health conditions as well as digitally delivered mental health literacy programmes in schools.
We also bridge the digital divide by offering in-person facilitation of mental health education in schools and mental health training of parents and carers, educators, and health professionals, as well as providing multiple, clinically informed, printable resources.
Our free offerings help thousands of young people manage anxiety, self-harm, depression and eating disorders across the UK every single day, whilst also learning to build resilience and become safe online.
Where it all began
In 2010, a 16-year-old teenager, who lived in Merton, London, tragically lost her battle with an eating disorder.
Dr Nihara Krause, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, who was involved in supporting the deeply bereaved school community, was determined to ensure that no student, family, educator or school missed out on access to knowledge on early identification and to effective treatment.
With extensive NHS experience and industry-leading expertise in clinical psychology, she decided to forge a path beyond the traditional confines of therapy sessions and school workshops. Instead, rather than seeing 8 patients individually a day, she envisioned something far more impactful, far-reaching, and long-lasting.
Driven by the belief that every child and young person deserves access to effective early intervention, regardless of their background or circumstances, she embarked on a quest to co-collaboratively create a range of digital treatments that could support a range of mental health conditions. These currently serve nationally and internationally as a beacon of hope for millions.
OUR MISSION
Our mission at stem4 is simple (click to expand):
What keeps us going?
We want every child and young person to flourish.
We will not stop until every young person in the country receives the mental health support that they need and deserve.
Evolution
Our goal is, and has always been, to ensure that no young person goes without the latest psychological support that they deserve, which is why, along with our award-winning apps which have been downloaded over 4 million times to date, we have also:
In response to the youth mental health crisis that we find ourselves in, we have looked at further ways in which we can provide broader and more targeted support to young people up and down the country. This has led to us forging partnerships with individual schools, universities and health organisations, amongst others, to cater for their individual needs.
For example, through creating customised versions of our apps, we are able to provide even more targeted and effective mental health support.
Get in touch at licences@stem4.org.uk
Sadly, our support is needed now more than ever,
but the good news is that we know our offers work:
Now, instead of Dr Krause seeing 6 or 8 patients a day, stem4’s apps provide clinically-informed, evidence-based psychological support to over 1,000 people every single day (that’s over 12,500% more).
If you’d like to keep us going, please support us here.
stem4’s founder
Dr Nihara Krause MBE, BSc(Hons) MSc, PsychD, C.Psychol, C.Sci, AFBPsS
Dr Nihara Krause is an award-winning Consultant Clinical Psychologist, with many years of clinical experience. Having worked as an NHS Consultant, she now runs her own private practice and is also a University lecturer.
Dr Krause has developed the MINDYOUR5 wellbeing programme adopted in a number of schools and is the clinical creator of all of stem4’s apps (Calm Harm, Clear Fear, Move Mood, Combined Minds and Worth Warrior) as well as stem4’s secondary school programme, Head Ed.
She is the joint creator of the stem4 Online Safety First Aid course, has contributed to the House of Lords enquiry on cyberbullying, Children’s Society on online harms and is involved in advising on mental health policy. She has created numerous psychological resources and books.
In 2015, David Cameron presented her with the Point of Light Award for her work and in 2014 she received the Mayor of London’s Award for her commitment to the community. She received the ‘Making a Difference’ award for mental health by the Positive Practice Collaborative in 2016 and a Certificate for Outstanding Contribution to Merton in 2018.
In 2019 Dr Krause was honoured to receive the British Citizen’s Award, health (BCAh) for her contribution to the health of children and young people in the UK. In June 2023, Dr Krause was honoured to be recognised with an MBE for her services to the mental health of young people.
