scholarly journals Can Mental Health Apps Be Effective for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress During a Pandemic?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Longyear ◽  
Kostadin Kushlev
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Health Apps

Covid-19 is poised to exacerbate the global mental health crisis as social isolation, unemployment, and economic recession are risk factors for negative mental health consequences. Since the need for social distancing can make face-to-face services less accessible, people may turn to mental health apps as an accessible and inexpensive solution. But are the claims about the efficacy of these apps supported by evidence? We identified 19 published articles on PubMed of peer-reviewed randomized clinical trials of mental health apps focused on stress, anxiety, and depression. Despite some evidence for the effectiveness of mental health apps, it remains unclear how effective these apps are compared to standard of care. Populations studied so far also lack diversity, making it difficult to generalize any benefits to racial minorities and low-income individuals—the very people who have been most negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and traditionally have higher barriers to mental health services. While apps are not a substitute for face-to-face therapy, further evidence is warranted given their potential for delivering scalable, low-cost care to patients. We call for regulatory oversight as a means to ensure mental health apps demonstrate safety and effectiveness prior to marketing.

Clinical review of user engagement with mental health smartphone apps: evidence, theory and improvements

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Torous ◽  
Jennifer Nicholas ◽  
Mark E Larsen ◽  
Joseph Firth ◽  
Helen Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Evidence Theory ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
High Engagement

The potential of smartphone apps to improve quality and increase access to mental health care is increasingly clear. Yet even in the current global mental health crisis, real-world uptake of smartphone apps by clinics or consumers remains low. To understand this dichotomy, this paper reviews current challenges surrounding user engagement with mental health smartphone apps. While smartphone engagement metrics and reporting remains heterogeneous in the literature, focusing on themes offers a framework to identify underlying trends. These themes suggest that apps are not designed with service users in mind, do not solve problems users care most about, do not respect privacy, are not seen as trustworthy and are unhelpful in emergencies. Respecting these current issues surrounding mental health app engagement, we propose several solutions and highlight successful examples of mental health apps with high engagement. Further research is necessary to better characterise engagement with mental health apps and identify best practices for design, testing and implementation.

scholarly journals Twitter Users’ Views on Mental Health Crisis Resolution Team Care Compared With Stakeholder Interviews and Focus Groups: Qualitative Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Chilman ◽  
Nicola Morant ◽  
Brynmor Lloyd-Evans ◽  
Jane Wackett ◽  
Sonia Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Crisis Resolution ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Rapid Access ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study

BACKGROUND Analyzing Twitter posts enables rapid access to how issues and experiences are socially shared and constructed among communities of health service users and providers, in ways that traditional qualitative methods may not. OBJECTIVE To enrich the understanding of mental health crisis care in the United Kingdom, this study explores views on crisis resolution teams (CRTs) expressed on Twitter. We aim to identify the similarities and differences among views expressed on Twitter compared with interviews and focus groups. METHODS We used Twitter’s advanced search function to retrieve public tweets on CRTs. A thematic analysis was conducted on 500 randomly selected tweets. The principles of refutational synthesis were applied to compare themes with those identified in a multicenter qualitative interview study. RESULTS The most popular hashtag identified was <i>#CrisisTeamFail</i>, where posts were principally related to poor quality of care and access, particularly for people given a <i>personality disorder</i> diagnosis. Posts about CRTs giving unhelpful self-management advice were common, as were tweets about resource strains on mental health services. This was not identified in the research interviews. Although each source yielded unique themes, there were some overlaps with themes identified via interviews and focus groups, including the importance of rapid access to care. Views expressed on Twitter were generally more critical than those obtained via face-to-face methods. CONCLUSIONS Traditional qualitative studies may underrepresent the views of more critical stakeholders by collecting data from participants accessed via mental health services. Research on social media content can complement traditional or face-to-face methods and ensure that a broad spectrum of viewpoints can inform service development and policy. CLINICALTRIAL

Leveraging Convergence Science to Address Global Mental Health Challenges

2021 ◽  
pp. 7-28
Author(s):  
Erin Smith ◽  
Helen Lavretsky ◽  
Charles F Reynolds III ◽  
Michael Berk ◽  
Harris A Eyre
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
New Era ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
The World ◽  
Medical Educators

The world is in the throes of a global mental health crisis with severe physical, societal, and economic ramifications. This has only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Modern mental health problems are characterized by their complexity, multisystemic nature, and broad societal impact, making them poorly suited to siloed approaches of thinking and innovation. To solve the unprecedented complexities and challenges associated with the current global mental health crisis, a paradigm shift is needed. Convergence science integrates knowledge, tools, and thought strategies from various fields and is the point where novel insights arise. In the context of mental health, convergence involves integration of scientists, clinicians, bioinformaticists, global health experts, engineers, technology entrepreneurs, medical educators, caregivers, and patients; synergy between government, academia, and industry is also vital. A convergence mental health approach will lead to improved outcomes for patients and healthcare systems. Predicate examples of convergence science in adjacent fields to mental health provide a model for the path forward. Further, within the field of mental health, there are examples of convergence science currently in action that include early-stage companies, neuroscience initiatives, public health projects, and unconventional funding mechanisms. The world has a historic opportunity to leverage convergence science to lead to a new era of innovation and progress in global mental health.

scholarly journals Digital Mental Health: The Answer to the Global Mental Health Crisis?

10.2196/18472 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e18472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany N Rudd ◽  
Rinad S Beidas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Prevention ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Prevention And Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Digital mental health interventions are often touted as the solution to the global mental health crisis. However, moving mental health care from the hands of professionals and into digital apps may further isolate individuals who need human connection the most. In this commentary, we argue that people, our society’s greatest resource, are as ubiquitous as technology. Thus, we argue that research focused on using technology to support all people in delivering mental health prevention and intervention deserves greater attention in the coming decade.

scholarly journals Impact of Pandemics/Epidemics on Emergency Department Utilization for Mental Health and Substance Use: A Rapid Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Munich ◽  
Liz Dennett ◽  
Jennifer Swainson ◽  
Andrew J. Greenshaw ◽  
Jake Hayward
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
System Level ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Emergency Department Utilization ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Impact

Background: A prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to trigger a global mental health crisis increasing demand for mental health emergency services. We undertook a rapid review of the impact of pandemics and epidemics on emergency department utilization for mental health (MH) and substance use (SU).Objective: To rapidly synthesize available data on emergency department utilization for psychiatric concerns during COVID-19.Methods: An information specialist searched Medline, Embase, Psycinfo, CINAHL, and Scopus on June 16, 2020 and updated the search on July 24, 2020. Our search identified 803 abstracts, 7 of which were included in the review. Six articles reported on the COVID-19 pandemic and one on the SARS epidemic.Results: All studies reported a decrease in overall and MH related ED utilization during the early pandemic/epidemic. Two studies found an increase in SU related visits during the same period. No data were available for mid and late stage pandemics and the definitions for MH and SU related visits were inconsistent across studies.Conclusions: Our results suggest that COVID-19 has resulted in an initial decrease in ED visits for MH and an increase in visits for SU. Given the relative paucity of data on the subject and inconsistent analytic methods used in existing studies, there is an urgent need for investigation of pandemic-related changes in ED case-mix to inform system-level change as the pandemic continues.

Convergence Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The World

The world is in the throes of a global health, economic, and mental health crisis with severe physical, societal, and economic ramifications. Modern mental health problems are characterized by their complexity, multisystemic nature, and broad societal impact, making them poorly suited to siloed approaches of thinking and innovation. To solve the unprecedented complexities and challenges associated with the current global crisis, a paradigm shift is needed. Convergence science integrates knowledge, tools, and thought strategies from various fields and is the focal point where novel insights arise. In the context of mental health, convergence involves integration of scientists, clinicians, bioinformaticists, global health experts, engineers, technology entrepreneurs, medical educators, caregivers, and patients; synergy between government, academia, and industry is also vital. A convergence mental health approach will lead to improved outcomes for patients and healthcare systems. Predicate examples of convergence science in adjacent fields to mental health provide a model for the path forward. Further, within the field of mental health, there are examples of convergence science currently in action that include early-stage companies, neuroscience initiatives, public health projects, and unconventional funding mechanisms. The world has a historic opportunity to leverage convergence science to lead to a new era of innovation and progress in global mental health. Contributions for this book come from authors affiliated with the Milken Institute, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the National Academies of Science, Medicine and Engineering, Stanford University, and Harvard University. This book is written for practitioners and leaders in mental health innovation, including clinicians, researchers, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists.

scholarly journals Low Cost Community Health Interventions to Address the Mental Health Crisis Arising From Greece’s Financial Austerity Measures

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-31
Author(s):  
Eleni Styliani Ramphos ◽  
Raywat Deonandan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Social Spending ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Community Based Programs

In response to the European financial crisis of 2008-2009, Greece reduced funding for social spending as part of its austerity program, which may have reversed past progress in Greece’s mental health system. Significant increases in depression and suicide rates coincided with the start of the crisis. A slower economic recovery may result from the combination of a less productive work force and out-migration of mental health professionals. In order to alleviate the detrimental effects of this crisis, mental health crisis training, as well as low cost community-based programs should be prioritized in Greece. 

scholarly journals Twitter Users’ Views on Mental Health Crisis Resolution Team Care Compared With Stakeholder Interviews and Focus Groups: Qualitative Analysis

10.2196/25742 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. e25742
Author(s):  
Natasha Chilman ◽  
Nicola Morant ◽  
Brynmor Lloyd-Evans ◽  
Jane Wackett ◽  
Sonia Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Crisis Resolution ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Rapid Access ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study

Background Analyzing Twitter posts enables rapid access to how issues and experiences are socially shared and constructed among communities of health service users and providers, in ways that traditional qualitative methods may not. Objective To enrich the understanding of mental health crisis care in the United Kingdom, this study explores views on crisis resolution teams (CRTs) expressed on Twitter. We aim to identify the similarities and differences among views expressed on Twitter compared with interviews and focus groups. Methods We used Twitter’s advanced search function to retrieve public tweets on CRTs. A thematic analysis was conducted on 500 randomly selected tweets. The principles of refutational synthesis were applied to compare themes with those identified in a multicenter qualitative interview study. Results The most popular hashtag identified was #CrisisTeamFail, where posts were principally related to poor quality of care and access, particularly for people given a personality disorder diagnosis. Posts about CRTs giving unhelpful self-management advice were common, as were tweets about resource strains on mental health services. This was not identified in the research interviews. Although each source yielded unique themes, there were some overlaps with themes identified via interviews and focus groups, including the importance of rapid access to care. Views expressed on Twitter were generally more critical than those obtained via face-to-face methods. Conclusions Traditional qualitative studies may underrepresent the views of more critical stakeholders by collecting data from participants accessed via mental health services. Research on social media content can complement traditional or face-to-face methods and ensure that a broad spectrum of viewpoints can inform service development and policy.

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