Connected Mental Health: Systematic Mapping Study

Background: Although mental health issues constitute an increasing global burden affecting a large number of people, the mental health care industry is still facing several care delivery barriers such as stigma, education, and cost. Connected mental health (CMH), which refers to the use of information and communication technologies in mental health care, can assist in overcoming these barriers. Objective: The aim of this systematic mapping study is to provide an overview and a structured understanding of CMH literature available in the Scopus database. Methods: A total of 289 selected publications were analyzed based on 8 classification criteria: publication year, publication source, research type, contribution type, empirical type, mental health issues, targeted cohort groups, and countries where the empirically evaluated studies were conducted. Results: The results showed that there was an increasing interest in CMH publications; journals were the main publication channels of the selected papers; exploratory research was the dominant research type; advantages and challenges of the use of technology for mental health care were the most investigated subjects; most of the selected studies had not been evaluated empirically; depression and anxiety were the most addressed mental disorders; young people were the most targeted cohort groups in the selected publications; and Australia, followed by the United States, was the country where most empirically evaluated studies were conducted. Conclusions: CMH is a promising research field to present novel approaches to assist in the management, treatment, and diagnosis of mental health issues that can help overcome existing mental health care delivery barriers. Future research should be shifted toward providing evidence-based studies to examine the effectiveness of CMH solutions and identify related issues

Internet-basierte Interventionen zur Förderung von Achtsamkeit und Selbstmitgefühl

Das vorliegende Kapitel gibt einen Überblick über verschiedene Formen von internet-basierten Interventionen und wie diese voneinander zu unterscheiden sind. Es wird unter anderem auf das Ausmaß der Begleitung (‘guidance’), die Nutzung resp. des Engagements der Nutzer (Adhärenz), als auch auf generelle Wirksamkeitsnachweise von internet-basierten Interventionen eingegangen. In einem zweiten Teil wird auf Achtsamkeit und auf Selbstmitgefühl, sowie internet-basierte Interventionen zur Förderung dieser Zustände eingegangen. Da es insbesondere erst wenig Forschung zu internet-basierten Ansätzen zur Steigerung von Selbstmitgefühl gibt, wird eine Übersicht über diese Studien gegeben und auf die einzelnen Studien und ihre Hauptbefunde eingegangen. Abschließend werden die Resultate zusammengefasst und kritisch diskutiert

Computer and psychotherapy – do they fit? Review of the state of development of internet-based and blended interventions in psychotherapy

Die Verbreitung moderner Medien wirkt sich zunehmend auf psychologische Behandlungsangebote aus. Während die empirische Basis internetbasierter Interventionen zur Behandlung häufiger psychischer Beeinträchtigungen wächst und ihre Anwendung in der Regelversorgung gegenwärtig international erprobt wird, bestehen zusätzliche Bestrebungen, das gewonnene Knowhow mit konventioneller Psychotherapie zu kombinieren. Die daraus entstehende Behandlungsform der „gemischten Psychotherapie“ („blended therapy“) hat das deklarierte Ziel, das Beste aus beiden Welten zu vereinen. Nach einer einleitenden Begriffsbestimmung gibt die vorliegende Übersichtsarbeit Einblick in die Inhalte und die Bestandteile internetbasierter sowie gemischter Interventionen. Der aktuelle Forschungsstand wird skizziert und vor dem Hintergrund der praktischen Anwendbarkeit durch eine Zusammenschau quantitativer und qualitativer Studien dargelegt. Besonderes Augenmerk gilt der Rolle der therapeutischen Unterstützung und der Beschaffenheit der therapeutischen Allianz bei internetbasierten Interventionen sowie den Stärken und Schwächen beider Behandlungsstrategien. Ziel ist es, sowohl die Entwicklung als auch das Potenzial beider Forschungsrichtungen plausibel und realistisch darzustellen und in eine strategische Versorgungsperspektive zu setzen.Modern media have an increasing impact on psychological health services. While the empirical foundation of internet-based interventions for frequently occurring mental disorders grows and their effectiveness is investigated in routine care trials, efforts also exist to transfer the knowledge gained to classical psychotherapy. The resulting treatment format “blended therapy” aims to combine the best of both worlds. After an introductory definition of both terms this overview describes the contents and components of internet-based and blended interventions. Summarizing the current state of research with an emphasis on feasibility, selected quantitative and qualitative articles are presented. The article depicts the development, application and potential of both interventional strategies and focuses on the role of therapist support as well as on the nature of the therapeutic alliance. Strengths and weaknesses of each intervention are addressed and integrated into a strategic perspective

Digital Interventions for Mental Disorders:Key Features, Efficacy, and Potential for Artificial Intelligence Applications

Mental disorders are highly prevalent and often remain untreated. Many limitations of conventional face-to-face psychological interventions could potentially be overcome through Internet-based and mobile-based interventions (IMIs). This chapter introduces core features of IMIs, describes areas of application, presents evidence on the efficacy of IMIs as well as potential effect mechanisms, and delineates how Artificial Intelligence combined with IMIs may improve current practices in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders in adults. Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials clearly show that therapist-guided IMIs can be highly effective for a broad range of mental health problems. Whether the effects of unguided IMIs are also clinically relevant, particularly under routine care conditions, is less clear. First studies on IMIs for the prevention of mental disorders have shown promising results. Despite limitations and challenges, IMIs are increasingly implemented into routine care worldwide. IMIs are also well suited for applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, which provides ample opportunities to improve the identification and treatment of mental disorders. Together with methodological innovations, these approaches may also deepen our understanding of how psychological interventions work, and why. Ethical and professional restraints as well as potential contraindications of IMIs, however, should also be considered. In sum, IMIs have a high potential for improving the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders across various indications, settings, and populations. Therefore, implementing IMIs into routine care as both adjunct and alternative to face-to-face treatment is highly desirable. Technological advancements may further enhance the variability and flexibility of IMIs, and thus even further increase their impact in people’s lives in the future