The funding is part of Wellcome's commitment to drive transformation in early intervention for anxiety, depression and psychosis.

Lawrence Tallon, chief executive of the MHRA, said: ‘Digital mental health support is becoming part of daily life for many people. When someone turns to a tool to help with their mental health, they need to know it is safe, effective and built on reliable evidence. This funding helps us continue that work. By creating clear, practical guidance for both users and developers, we can give people confidence in the tools they use and help responsible innovation reach the public more quickly.'

Professor Miranda Wolpert, director of mental health at Wellcome, said: ‘Our partnership with the MHRA and NICE over the next few years is a great example of how our research funding and policy work is fostering collaboration to bring more pathways to earlier interventions for anxiety, depression and psychosis.

‘They will be creating practical tools that help regulators and developers work together on safe and effective solutions, supporting regulators to build a clearer global picture of frameworks and evidence. This will help get the best digital interventions into the hands of people with mental health problems.'