scholarly journals Stakeholder perspectives on evidence for digital mental health interventions: Implications for accreditation systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 205520761987806
Author(s):  
Philip J Batterham ◽  
Alison L Calear ◽  
Bridianne O’Dea ◽  
Mark E Larsen ◽  
David J Kavanagh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Digital Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Background Digital mental health interventions can be effective for treating mental health problems, but uptake by consumers and clinicians is not optimal. The lack of an accreditation pathway for digital mental health interventions is a barrier to their uptake among clinicians and consumers. However, there are a number of factors that may contribute to whether a digital intervention is suitable for recommendation to the public. The aim of this study was to identify the types of evidence that would support the accreditation of digital interventions. Method An expert workshop was convened, including researcher, clinician, consumer (people with lived experience of a mental health condition) and policymaker representatives. Results Existing methods for assessing the evidence for digital mental health interventions were discussed by the stakeholders present at the workshop. Empirical evidence from randomised controlled trials was identified as a key component for evaluating digital interventions. However, information on the safety of users, data security, user ratings, and fidelity to clinical guidelines, along with data from routine care including adherence, engagement and clinical outcomes, were also identified as important considerations when evaluating an intervention. There are considerable challenges in weighing the evidence for a digital mental health intervention. Conclusions Empirical evidence should be the cornerstone of any accreditation system to identify appropriate digital mental health interventions. However, robust accreditation systems should also account for program and user safety, user engagement and experience, and fidelity to clinical treatment guidelines.

scholarly journals Engagement in Digital Mental Health Interventions: Can Monetary Incentives Help?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliane M. Boucher ◽  
Haley E. Ward ◽  
Amelia C. Mounts ◽  
Acacia C. Parks
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Digital Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Digital mental health interventions (DMHI) are scalable and cost-effective strategies for increasing access to mental health care; however, dropout rates associated with digital interventions are high, particularly for open-access digital interventions. While some studies have focused on predictors of dropout from digital mental health programs, few studies have focused on engagement features that might improve engagement. In this perspective article, we discuss whether monetary incentives (MI) are one avenue to increasing user engagement in DMHI. We begin by reviewing the literature on the effects of MI for behavior change in health domains (e.g., dietary behaviors, substance use, and medication adherence). Then, drawing on a pilot study we conducted to test the effects of different levels of MI on usage and improvement in subjective well-being among users of a DMHI (Happify), we discuss the potential applications of MI for DMHI, the potential drawbacks of financial incentives in this context, and open questions for future research.

An engagement-facilitation intervention (EFI) for increasing uptake and engagement for self-guided online mental health interventions: Consumer-guided development (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia Gulliver ◽  
Alison L Calear ◽  
Matthew Sunderland ◽  
Frances Kay-Lambkin ◽  
Louise M Farrer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Health Program ◽  
Mental Health Program ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Programs

BACKGROUND Self-guided online mental health programs are effective in treating and preventing mental health problems. However, both the uptake and engagement with these programs in the community is suboptimal, and there is limited current evidence indicating how to increase the use of existing evidence-based programs. OBJECTIVE The current study aims to investigate the views of people with lived experience of depression and anxiety on the barriers and facilitators to using e-mental health interventions and to use these perspectives to help develop an engagement-facilitation intervention (EFI) to increase uptake and engagement with self-guided online mental health programs. METHODS A total of 24 community members (female = 21; male = 3) with lived experience of depression and/or anxiety participated in four focus groups that discussed: 1) barriers and facilitators to self-guided e-mental health programs, 2) specific details needed to help them decide to use an online program, and 3) the appearance, delivery mode, and functionality of content for the proposed EFI. A total of 14 of the focus group attendees participated in a subsequent follow-up survey to evaluate the resultant draft EFI. Data were thematically analysed using both inductive and deductive methods. RESULTS Participants suggested that the critical component of an EFI was information that would challenge personal barriers to engagement with psychosocial interventions. These were providing personalised feedback about symptoms, information about the content and effectiveness of the e-mental health program, normalisation of participation in e-mental health programs including testimonials, and brief information on data security. Reminders, rewards, feedback about their progress, and coaching were all mentioned as being useful in assisting people to continue to engage with a program once they had started. Feedback on the developed EFI was positive; with participants reporting satisfaction with the content of the EFI and that it would likely positively affect their use of an e-mental health program. CONCLUSIONS EFIs have the potential to improve the uptake of e-mental health programs in the community and should focus on providing information on the content and effectiveness of e-mental health programs, as well as normalising their use. There is strong value in involving people with a lived experience in the design and development of EFIs to maximise their effectiveness.

scholarly journals “Smartphone Apps Are Cool, but Do They Help Me?”: A Qualitative Interview Study of Adolescents’ Perspectives on Using Smartphone Interventions to Manage Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3289
Author(s):  
Anja Čuš ◽  
Julian Edbrooke-Childs ◽  
Susanne Ohmann ◽  
Paul L. Plener ◽  
Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Self Injury ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Nonsuicidal Self Injury

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major mental health problem associated with negative psychosocial outcomes and it most often starts in early adolescence. Despite this, adolescents are rarely involved in informing the development of interventions designed to address their mental health problems. This study aimed to (1) assess adolescents’ needs and preferences about future interventions that are delivered through smartphones and (2) develop a framework with implications for designing engaging digital mental health interventions. Fifteen adolescent girls, aged 12–18 years, who met diagnostic criteria for a current NSSI disorder and were in contact with mental health services, participated in semi-structured interviews. Following a reflexive thematic analysis approach, this study identified two main themes: (1) Experiences of NSSI (depicts the needs of young people related to their everyday experiences of managing NSSI) and (2) App in Context (portrays preferences of young people about smartphone interventions and reflects adolescents’ views on how technology itself can improve or hinder engaging with these interventions). Adolescent patients expressed interest in using smartphone mental health interventions if they recognize them as helpful, relevant for their life situation and easy to use. The developed framework suggests that digital mental health interventions are embedded in three contexts (i.e., person using the intervention, mental health condition, and technology-related factors) which together need to inform the development of engaging digital resources. To achieve this, the cooperation among people with lived experience, mental health experts, and human computer interaction professionals is vital.

scholarly journals Online Indicated Preventive Mental Health Interventions for Youth: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilon van Doorn ◽  
Laurens A. Nijhuis ◽  
Mees D. Egeler ◽  
Joost G. Daams ◽  
Arne Popma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Complaints ◽  
Preventive Interventions ◽  
Online Interventions ◽  
Preventive Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Objective: Between the ages of 12 and 25 the onset of mental disorders typically occurs, and the burden of mental health problems is greatest for this group. Indicated preventive interventions to target individuals with subclinical symptoms to prevent the transition to clinical levels of disorders have gained considerable traction. However, the threshold to seek help appears to be high even when help is needed. Online interventions could offer a solution, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This scoping review will present an overview of the recent research of indicated online preventive interventions for youth (12–25 years) experiencing the early stages of mental health complaints with the aim of identifying the nature and extent of the research evidence.Methods: The 5-stage framework by Arksey and O'Malley was used. Academic literature published from 2013 onwards in printed or electronic format was included from Scopus, PsychINFO, and Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL.Results: The search yielded 11,122 results, with the final selection resulting in inclusion of 30 articles for this review. In total, the articles included 4,950 participants. 26.7% of the selected articles focused on youth between 12 and 25 years. Of the articles 60% did not screen for, nor exclude participants with clinical levels of symptoms. Most studies used a common evidence-based therapy for the disorder-category targeted. More than half of the online interventions included some form of human support. Adherence levels ranged between 27.9 and 98%. The results indicate general effectiveness, usability and acceptability of online indicated preventive interventions. The most commonly used approach was CBT (n = 12 studies). Studies varied in their size, rigor of study, effectiveness and outcome measures. Online interventions with a combination of clinical and peer moderation (n = 3 studies) appear to result in the most stable and highest effect sizes.Conclusion: Online indicated preventive mental health interventions for youth with emerging mental health issues show promise in reducing various mental health complaints, and increasing positive mental health indicators such as well-being and resilience. Additionally, high levels of usability and acceptability were found. However, the included studies show important methodological shortcomings. Also, the research has mainly focused on specific diagnostic categories, meaning there is a lack of transdiagnostic approaches. Finally, clear definitions of- as well as instruments to measure- emerging or subclinical mental health symptoms in youth remain are missing.

Mental Health Screening in General Practices as a Means for Enhancing Uptake of Digital Mental Health Interventions: An Observational Cohort Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Estelle Whitton ◽  
Rebecca Hardy ◽  
Kate Cope ◽  
Chilin Gieng ◽  
Leanne Gow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Health Screening ◽  
Mental Health Screening ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Treatment Recommendation ◽  
Digital Interventions ◽  
Digital Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
General Practices

BACKGROUND Digital mental health interventions will play a critical role in managing the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, enhancing their uptake is a key priority. General Practitioners (GPs) are well-positioned to facilitate access to digital interventions, but tools that assist GPs in identifying suitable patients are lacking. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effectiveness of a web-based mental health screening and treatment-recommendation tool (‘StepCare’) for improving the detection of anxiety and depression in general practice, and subsequently, uptake of digital mental health interventions. METHODS StepCare screens patients for symptoms of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) in the GP waiting room. It provides GPs with stepped treatment recommendations that include digital mental health interventions for mild-to-moderate symptoms. Patients (n=5,138) from 85 general practices across Australia were invited to take part in screening. RESULTS Depression and/or anxiety was detected in 43.1% of patients screened (one quarter were previously undiagnosed/untreated). The majority (89.5%) of previously undiagnosed/untreated patients had mild-to-moderate symptoms and were candidates for digital mental health interventions. Although less than half were prescribed a digital intervention by their GP, when a digital intervention was prescribed, over two thirds of patients used it. CONCLUSIONS Implementing mental health screening in general practices can increase patient access to digital mental health interventions. Although GPs prescribed digital interventions less frequently than in-person psychotherapy or medication, the promising rates of uptake by GP-referred patients suggests that GPs can play a critical role in championing digital interventions and maximising the associated benefits.

scholarly journals Proceedings from the Digital Innovation in Mental Health Conference, London, 2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 117822261876473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky Inkster
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Arts Policy ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Aims And Scope

Aims and Scope: The conference aims were two-fold: (1) to explore how digital technology is implemented into personalized and/or group mental health interventions and (2) to promote digital equality through developing culturally sensitive ways of bringing technological innovation to disadvantaged groups. A broad scope of perspectives were welcomed and encouraged, from lived experience, academic, clinical, media, the arts, policy-making, tech innovation, and other perspectives.

Using Ethnographic Methods in the Selection of Post-Disaster, Mental Health Interventions

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Bolton ◽  
Alice M. Tang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Disaster Mental Health ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Post Disaster ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractThis paper describes a short, ethnographic study approach for understanding how people from non-Western cultures think about mental health and mental health problems, and the rationale for using such an approach in designing and implementing mental health interventions during and after disasters. It describes how the resulting data can contribute to interventions that are more acceptable to local people, and therefore, more effective and sustainable through improved community support.

scholarly journals A Process Evaluation of a Web-Based Mental Health Portal (WalkAlong) Using Google Analytics

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Jae Song ◽  
John Ward ◽  
Fiona Choi ◽  
Mohammadali Nikoo ◽  
Anastasia Frank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Background Despite the increasing amount of research on Web-based mental health interventions with proven efficacy, high attrition rates decrease their effectiveness. Continued process evaluations should be performed to maximize the target population’s engagement. Google Analytics has been used to evaluate various health-related Web-based programs and may also be useful for Web-based mental health programs. Objective The objective of our study was to evaluate WalkAlong.ca, a youth-oriented mental health web-portal, using Google Analytics to inform the improvement strategy for the platform and to demonstrate the use of Google Analytics as a tool for process evaluation of Web-based mental health interventions. Methods Google Analytics was used to monitor user activity during WalkAlong’s first year of operation (Nov 13, 2013-Nov 13, 2014). Selected Google Analytic variables were overall website engagement including pages visited per session, utilization rate of specific features, and user access mode and location. Results The results included data from 3076 users viewing 29,299 pages. Users spent less average time on Mindsteps (0 minute 35 seconds) and self-exercises (1 minute 08 seconds), which are important self-help tools, compared with that on the Screener tool (3 minutes 4 seconds). Of all visitors, 82.3% (4378/5318) were desktop users, followed by 12.7 % (677/5318) mobile phone and 5.0% (263/5318) tablet users. Both direct traffic (access via URL) and referrals by email had more than 7 pages viewed per session and longer than average time of 6 minutes per session. The majority of users (67%) accessed the platform from Canada. Conclusions Engagement and feature utilization rates are higher among people who receive personal invitations to visit the site. Low utilization rates with specific features offer a starting place for further exploration of users in order to identify the root cause. The data provided by Google Analytics, although informative, can be supplemented by other evaluation methods (ie, qualitative methods) in order to better determine the modifications required to improve user engagement. Google Analytics can play a vital role in highlighting the preferences of those using Web-based mental health tools.

scholarly journals The need for accessible mental health interventions for young adults in the COVID-19 pandemic: A student psychologists’ perspective and rapid systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilan Hulaj ◽  
Sophie Antesberger ◽  
Tabea Blum ◽  
Raffaela Böswald ◽  
Hannah M. Brandl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Importance: Although young adults are on average less affected by the physical consequences of COVID-19 infections, showing less severe disease progression and lower mortality risk, they suffer strongly from the mental health impact of the pandemic.Objective: We, a group of psychology students experiencing these impacts, aim to provide an overview of the existing literature on prevention and intervention efforts to effectively reduce the development of, or suffering from, mental health problems in young adults (18-35) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Evidence Review: A rapid systematic review was conducted to identify studies focusing on the implementation of mental health interventions for young adults of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Literature was searched with Pubmed and Web of Science on June 17, 2021. The quality of each study was assessed by two reviewers with the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers.Findings: Of N = 76 records initially screened, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Six applied web-based interventions, of which four were randomized controlled trials. Interventions were based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches (n = 5), mindfulness practices, logo-autobiography, and synergistic thinking methods. The interventions varied in length from single sessions to multiple sessions over a period of up to 10 weeks. All interventions were effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as stress with small to medium effect sizes and a symptom reduction up to 78.9%. With only three studies being of high quality, the overall quality was low.Conclusions and Relevance: Research on mental health interventions for young adults in the general population during the pandemic is sparse. However, all interventions resulted in symptoms reductions and thus have been shown to be effective ways of counteracting the potential development of mental disorders during times of uncertainty, with high levels of stress, such as during a pandemic. Therefore, we propose a concept for an innovative and cost-effective web-based platform to structure and raise awareness for existing measures.

scholarly journals Use of the Principles of Design Thinking to Address Limitations of Digital Mental Health Interventions for Youth: Viewpoint (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanneke Scholten ◽  
Isabela Granic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Digital Interventions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Principles Of Design ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Scientific Standards

UNSTRUCTURED Numerous reviews and meta-analyses have indicated the enormous potential of technology to improve the appeal, effectiveness, cost, and reach of mental health interventions. However, the promise of digital mental health interventions for youth has not yet been realized. Significant challenges have been repeatedly identified, including engagement, fidelity, and the lack of personalization. We introduce the main tenets of design thinking and explain how they can specifically address these challenges, with an entirely new toolbox of mindsets and practices. In addition, we provide examples of a new wave of digital interventions to demonstrate the applicability of design thinking to a wide range of intervention goals. In the future, it will be critical for scientists and clinicians to implement their scientific standards, methods, and review outlets to evaluate the contribution of design thinking to the next iteration of digital mental health interventions for youth.

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