Beyond Access: How can we leverage digital solutions to improve mental health interventions?
Around 20% of adults experience a mental health illness every year.1 This should be a shocking figure, but it’s probably not all that surprising for most of us. Discussions surrounding mental health have long escaped the walls of therapist offices and entered the realm of small talk. Thanks to destigmatization, it’s no longer a hushed secret that many of us are struggling. The problem now is how to fix it.
Unfortunately, this increasing demand for support is something that the available mental health workforce has simply not been able to keep up with—and, of course, the price tag on therapy sessions further highlights the need for access to affordable care.2
With this problem in mind, technology has emerged as a popular solution for bridging the gap in supply and demand, with the potential to deliver care to a greater number of people at lower prices or even no cost at all. Mental health apps are asking us to check in with our mood, public figures are openly discussing their personal experiences with anxiety online, and websites are offering free crisis services that remind us to prioritize our mental health at the end of a stressful work week. But with all of these developments comes the question: is technology truly the saving grace we all hoped it would be?
In this article, we’ll discuss the limits of traditional therapy and how digital solutions may help enhance their effectiveness through tracking, personalization, and empowerment.
References
- Mental illness. (2023). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
- Behavioral health workforce: Supply and demand projections 2023. (2023). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/Behavioral-Health-Workforce-Brief-2023.pdf
- Pritz-Mirtakis, J. (2020). On the importance of understanding and controlling publishing bias in clinical psychology and research: A PRISMA Systematic Review: A PRISMA systematic review. SFU Forschungsbulletin, 67-83.
- Cuijpers, P., & Cristea, I. A. (2016). How to prove that your therapy is effective, even when it is not: a guideline. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 25(5), 428-435.
- Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2016). Most psychotherapies do not really work, but those that might work should be assessed in biased studies. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 25(5), 436-438.
- Fordham B, Sugavanam T, Edwards K, et al. The evidence for cognitive behavioural therapy in any condition, population or context: a meta-review of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine. 2021;51(1):21-29. doi:10.1017/S0033291720005292
- Sullivan, L. C. (2009). Online Counseling and Its Effectiveness. Perspectives In Learning, 10(1), 9.
- Martin, D. J., Garske, J. P., & Davis, M. K. (2000). Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: a meta-analytic review. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 68(3), 438.
- Gould, M. S., Pisani, A., Gallo, C., Ertefaie, A., Harrington, D., Kelberman, C., & Green, S. (2022). Crisis text‐line interventions: Evaluation of texters' perceptions of effectiveness. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior, 52(3), 583-595.
- Online therapy user survey 2022: Overall user experience. (2022, July 14). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/online-therapy-user-survey-2022#overall-user-experience
- Kids Help Phone. (n.d.). Get insights at home. https://kidshelpphone.ca/get-insights/home/
- Hoffberg, A. S., Stearns-Yoder, K. A., & Brenner, L. A. (2020). The effectiveness of crisis line services: a systematic review. Frontiers in public health, 7, 399.
- Parry, G. D., Crawford, M. J., & Duggan, C. (2016). Iatrogenic harm from psychological therapies–time to move on. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(3), 210-212.
- Phelos, H., Haak, D., (2023, August 18). Iatrogenic disease: Definition & effects. https://study.com/academy/lesson/iatrogenic-disease-definition-effects.html#:~:text=An%20iatrogenic%20reaction%20is%20a,unintentional%20error%20or%20medical%20negligence.
- Parry, G. D., Crawford, M. J., & Duggan, C. (2016). Iatrogenic harm from psychological therapies–time to move on. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(3), 210-212.
- Bowie, C., McLeod, J., & McLeod, J. (2016). ‘It was almost like the opposite of what I needed’: A qualitative exploration of client experiences of unhelpful therapy. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 16(2), 79-87.
- Delgadillo, J., Rubel, J., & Barkham, M. (2020). Towards personalized allocation of patients to therapists. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 88(9), 799.
- Chu, L. C. (2010). The benefits of meditation vis‐à‐vis emotional intelligence, perceived stress and negative mental health. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 26(2), 169-180.
- Sohal, M., Singh, P., Dhillon, B. S., & Gill, H. S. (2022). Efficacy of journaling in the management of mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Family medicine and community health, 10(1).
- Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M., & Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and mental health. Maturitas, 106, 48-56.
About the Author
Laura Detter
Laura Detter is a user-centred researcher and designer with a passion for applied behavioural science. Before joining The Decision Lab she worked at Mercury Labs in London providing UX based consulting services for digital products and services. Since moving to Montreal Laura has worked at Ubisoft’s User Research Lab, conducting UX research to enhance Ubisoft’s AAA games including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
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