scholarly journals The Acceptability and Usability of Digital Health Interventions for Adults With Depression, Anxiety, and Somatoform Disorders: Qualitative Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shireen Patel ◽  
Athfah Akhtar ◽  
Sam Malins ◽  
Nicola Wright ◽  
Emma Rowley ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The prevalence of mental health disorders continues to rise, with almost 4% of the world population having an anxiety disorder and almost 3.5% having depression in 2017. Despite the high prevalence, only one-third of people with depression or anxiety receive treatment. Over the last decade, the use of digital health interventions (DHIs) has risen rapidly as a means of accessing mental health care and continues to increase. Although there is evidence supporting the effectiveness of DHIs for the treatment of mental health conditions, little is known about what aspects are valued by users and how they might be improved. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed to identify, appraise, and synthesize the qualitative literature available on service users’ views and experiences regarding the acceptability and usability of DHIs for depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders. METHODS A systematic search strategy was developed, and searches were run in 7 electronic databases. Qualitative and mixed methods studies published in English were included. A meta-synthesis was used to interpret and synthesize the findings from the included studies. RESULTS A total of 24 studies were included in the meta-synthesis, and 3 key themes emerged with descriptive subthemes. The 3 key themes were initial motivations and approaches to DHIs, personalization of treatment, and the value of receiving personal support in DHIs. The meta-synthesis suggests that participants’ initial beliefs about DHIs can have an important effect on their engagement with these types of interventions. Personal support was valued very highly as a major component of the success of DHIs. The main reason for this was the way it enabled individual personalization of care. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the systematic review have implications for the design of future DHIs to improve uptake, retention, and outcomes in DHIs for depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders. DHIs need to be personalized to the specific needs of the individual. Future research should explore whether the findings could be generalized to other health conditions.

10.2196/16228 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. e16228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shireen Patel ◽  
Athfah Akhtar ◽  
Sam Malins ◽  
Nicola Wright ◽  
Emma Rowley ◽  
...  

Background The prevalence of mental health disorders continues to rise, with almost 4% of the world population having an anxiety disorder and almost 3.5% having depression in 2017. Despite the high prevalence, only one-third of people with depression or anxiety receive treatment. Over the last decade, the use of digital health interventions (DHIs) has risen rapidly as a means of accessing mental health care and continues to increase. Although there is evidence supporting the effectiveness of DHIs for the treatment of mental health conditions, little is known about what aspects are valued by users and how they might be improved. Objective This systematic review aimed to identify, appraise, and synthesize the qualitative literature available on service users’ views and experiences regarding the acceptability and usability of DHIs for depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders. Methods A systematic search strategy was developed, and searches were run in 7 electronic databases. Qualitative and mixed methods studies published in English were included. A meta-synthesis was used to interpret and synthesize the findings from the included studies. Results A total of 24 studies were included in the meta-synthesis, and 3 key themes emerged with descriptive subthemes. The 3 key themes were initial motivations and approaches to DHIs, personalization of treatment, and the value of receiving personal support in DHIs. The meta-synthesis suggests that participants’ initial beliefs about DHIs can have an important effect on their engagement with these types of interventions. Personal support was valued very highly as a major component of the success of DHIs. The main reason for this was the way it enabled individual personalization of care. Conclusions Findings from the systematic review have implications for the design of future DHIs to improve uptake, retention, and outcomes in DHIs for depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders. DHIs need to be personalized to the specific needs of the individual. Future research should explore whether the findings could be generalized to other health conditions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan J Philippe ◽  
Naureen Sikder ◽  
Anna Jackson ◽  
Maya E Koblanski ◽  
Eric Liow ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted mental health care delivery to digital platforms, video conferencing, and other mobile communications. However, existing reviews of digital health interventions are narrow in scope and focus on a limited number of mental health conditions. OBJECTIVE To address this gap, we conducted a rapid review of the literature to assess the state of digital health interventions for the treatment of several mental health conditions. METHODS We searched MEDLINE for secondary literature published between 2010-2021 on the use, efficacy, and appropriateness of digital health interventions for the delivery of mental health care. RESULTS Sixty percent (60%) of research involved the treatment of substance use disorders, 25% focused on mood, anxiety and traumatic stress disorders and 5% or less on other mental health conditions. Synchronous and asynchronous communication, computerized therapy, and cognitive training appear to be effective, but require further examination in understudied mental health conditions. Similarly, virtual reality, mobile apps, social media platforms, and online forums are novel technologies that have the potential to improve mental health but require higher quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS Digital health interventions offer promise in the treatment of mental health conditions. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital health interventions provide a safer alternative to face-to-face treatment. However, further research on the applications of digital interventions in understudied mental health conditions is needed. Additionally, evidence is needed on the effectiveness and appropriateness of digital health tools for patients, who are marginalized, and may lack access to digital health interventions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Zhang ◽  
Shôn Lewis ◽  
Joseph Firth ◽  
Xu Chen ◽  
Sandra Bucci

Abstract Mental health problems are highly prevalent in China; however, China's mental health services lack resources to deliver high-quality care to people in need. Digital mental health is a promising solution to this short-fall in view of the population's digital literacy. In this review, we aim to: (i) investigate the effectiveness, acceptability, usability, and safety of digital health technologies (DHTs) for people with mental health problems in China; (ii) critically appraise the literature; and (iii) make recommendations for future research directions. The databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, WANFANG, and VIP were systemically searched for English and Chinese language articles evaluating DHTs for people with mental health problems in mainland China. Eligible studies were systematically reviewed. The heterogeneity of studies included precluded a meta-analysis. In total, 39 articles were retrieved, reporting on 32 DHTs for various mental health problems. Compared with the digital mental health field in the West, the Chinese studies targeted schizophrenia and substance use disorder more often and investigated social anxiety mediated by shame and culturally specific variants, DHTs were rarely developed in a co-production approach, and methodology quality was less rigorous. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review focused on digital mental health in the Chinese context including studies published in both English and the Chinese language. DHTs were acceptable and usable among Chinese people with mental health problems in general, similar to findings from the West. Due to heterogeneity across studies and a paucity of robust control trial research, conclusions about the efficacy of DHTs are lacking.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 205520761989615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Mahbub Hossain ◽  
Samia Tasnim ◽  
Rachit Sharma ◽  
Abida Sultana ◽  
Araish Farzana Shaik ◽  
...  

Background A high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is contributing to high mortality and morbidity in India. Recent advancements in digital health interventions, including mHealth, eHealth, and telemedicine, have facilitated patient-centered care for NCDs. Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate the current evidence on digital interventions for people living with NCDs in India and the outcomes of those interventions. Methods We adopted PRISMA guidelines and systematically reviewed articles from MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Scopus databases with following criteria: journal articles presenting digital intervention(s) used by people with at least one of the NCDs, reporting health outcomes following the intervention, studies conducted in India among Indian population. Results Among 1669 articles retrieved from multiple sources, only 13 articles met our criteria. Most ( n = 7) studies were conducted in southern states of India; eight studies included patients with diabetes, followed by neuropsychiatric disorders and other NCDs. Five studies recruited participants from tertiary hospitals; six interventions used text-messaging for delivering health services, and 10 studies reported randomized controlled trials. All the studies reported positive health outcomes following the intervention, including better self-management, increased patient–provider communication, improved medication adherence, and reduced disease symptoms. Most studies scored moderate to high in quality assessment checklist of Downs and Black. Conclusion Current evidence suggests a low number of interventions with positive outcomes. Future research should explore avenues of advanced technologies ensuring equitable and sustainable development of digital health interventions for people living with NCDs in India.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Hiscock ◽  
Marquelle Goods ◽  
Marquelle Goods

UNSTRUCTURED Introduction: Many children with a mental health problem do not receive professional help. Despite frequent use of digital health interventions (DHI) such as websites or online service navigation platforms for child mental health, their effects on parent’s mental health knowledge, help-seeking or uptake of professional services for their child are unclear. Methods: Systematic review and narrative synthesis to describe whether DHIs improve the above parental outcomes and whether they are cost-effective. CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline OVID, PsycInfo and PubMed were searched from 2000-2020. Studies were included if they evaluated quantitative changes in mental health literacy, help-seeking or uptake of services by parents of children with a mental health problem. Data extraction: Theoretical framework, sample size, participant demographics, recruitment, intervention, DHI usage, results and health economic measures. Results: From 11,379 search results, five studies met inclusion criteria. One randomized controlled trial found reduced uptake of services after using a DHI coupled with a telephone coach for a child’s behavioral problem. Two of three studies found statistically significant improvement in mental health literacy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder but had no control group. One study found non-significant improvement in mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes for anxiety and depression compared to an active control. No studies reported on cost-effectiveness. All studies were rated at least high or serious risk of bias. Discussion: Despite their use, there is no high-quality evidence that DHIs can improve parents’ mental health literacy, help-seeking or uptake of services. Limitations include a single reviewer screening articles and overall low-quality studies. More research is needed to evaluate DHIs using rigorous study designs, consistent measures and cost analyses.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 494-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Pfefferbaum ◽  
Jennifer L. Sweeton ◽  
Pascal Nitiéma ◽  
Mary A. Noffsinger ◽  
Vandana Varma ◽  
...  

AbstractChildren face innumerable challenges following exposure to disasters. To address trauma sequelae, researchers and clinicians have developed a variety of mental health interventions. While the overall effectiveness of multiple interventions has been examined, few studies have focused on the individual components of these interventions. As a preliminary step to advancing intervention development and research, this literature review identifies and describes nine common components that comprise child disaster mental health interventions. This review concluded that future research should clearly define the constituent components included in available interventions. This will require that future studies dismantle interventions to examine the effectiveness of specific components and identify common therapeutic elements. Issues related to populations studied (eg, disaster exposure, demographic and cultural influences) and to intervention delivery (eg, timing and optimal sequencing of components) also warrant attention.PfefferbaumB, SweetonJL, NitiémaP, NoffsingerMA, VarmaV, NelsonSD, NewmanE. Child disaster mental health interventions: therapy components. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(5):1-9.


Author(s):  
Julia Heffernan ◽  
Ewan McDonald ◽  
Elizabeth Hughes ◽  
Richard Gray

Police, ambulance and mental health tri-response services are a relatively new model of responding to people experiencing mental health crisis in the community, but limited evidence exists examining their efficacy. To date there have been no systematic reviews that have examined the association between the tri-response model and rates of involuntary detentions. A systematic review examining co-response models demonstrated possible reduction in involuntary detention, however, recommended further research. The aim of this protocol is to describe how we will systematically review the evidence base around the relationship of the police, ambulance mental health tri-response models in reducing involuntary detentions. We will search health, policing and grey literature databases and include clinical evaluations of any design. Risk of bias will be determined using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and a narrative synthesis will be undertaken to synthesis key themes. Risk of bias and extracted data will be summarized in tables and results synthesis tabulated to identify patterns within the included studies. The findings will inform future research into the effectiveness of tri-response police, ambulance, and mental health models in reducing involuntary detentions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Owen ◽  
Louise Crouch-Read ◽  
Matthew Smith ◽  
Paul Fisher

Abstract For more than a decade, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) has been training a new workforce of psychological therapists. Despite evidence of stress and burnout both in trainee mental health professionals, and qualified IAPT clinicians, little is known about these topics in IAPT trainees. Consequently, this systematic review sought to establish the current state of the literature regarding stress and burnout in IAPT trainees. Electronic databases were searched to identify all published and available unpublished work relating to the topic. On the basis of pre-established eligibility criteria, eight studies (including six unpublished doctoral theses) were identified and assessed for quality. This review identifies that research into the experience of IAPT trainees is under-developed. Existing evidence tentatively suggests that IAPT trainees may experience levels of stress and burnout that are higher than their qualified peers and among the higher end of healthcare professionals more generally. The experience of fulfilling dual roles as mental health professionals and university students concurrently appears to be a significant source of stress for IAPT trainees. More research regarding the levels and sources of stress and burnout in IAPT trainees is urgently needed to confirm and extend these findings. Recommendations for future research in the area are given. Key learning aims (1) To establish the current state of the literature regarding stress and burnout in IAPT trainees. (2) To raise practitioner, service and education-provider awareness regarding the levels and perceived sources of stress and burnout in IAPT trainees. (3) To make recommendations regarding future research on the topic.


2020 ◽  
pp. 152483802096734
Author(s):  
Mengtong Chen ◽  
Ko Ling Chan

Digital technologies are increasingly used in health-care delivery and are being introduced into work to prevent unintentional injury, violence, and suicide to reduce mortality. To understand the potential of digital health interventions (DHIs) to prevent and reduce these problems, we conduct a meta-analysis and provide an overview of their effectiveness and characteristics related to the effects. We searched electronic databases and reference lists of relevant reviews to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in or before March 2020 evaluating DHIs on injury, violence, or suicide reduction. Based on the 34 RCT studies included in the meta-analysis, the overall random effect size was 0.21, and the effect sizes for reducing suicidal ideation, interpersonal violence, and unintentional injury were 0.17, 0.24, and 0.31, respectively, which can be regarded as comparable to the effect sizes of traditional face-to-face interventions. However, there was considerable heterogeneity between the studies. In conclusion, DHIs have great potential to reduce unintentional injury, violence, and suicide. Future research should explore DHIs’ successful components to facilitate future implementation and wider access.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document