Topic: Digital Mental Health Interventions (Youth/Young Adult)

Definition for Digital Mental Health Interventions (Youth/Young Adult):

Digital Mental Health Interventions (DMHIs) (Youth/Young Adults) are defined by the CEBC as interventions that use digital technologies for mental health support, prevention, and treatment. DMHIs provide behavioral and psychological strategies through technological features, including websites, mobile applications (i.e., apps), games, wearable devices, online platforms, and virtual and augmented reality. Some DMHIs allow users to self-manage symptoms, while others use some form of human support either to increase engagement or to provide additional intervention. DMHIs can be preventive resources that support those with less acute needs and potentially reduce the need for more intensive mental health services, as well as providing support while users are waiting to access to these services. DMHIs can also be used as therapy extenders while receiving these services, as well as after treatment to maintain and reinforce gains.

There has been an increase in mental health needs among children, adolescents, and young adults over the past decade, with the COVID pandemic resulting in a rapid growth in need, particularly in anxiety and depression. Many youth with mental health concerns do not access care, due to barriers such as stigma, cost of services, lack of parental support or understanding, lack of insurance coverage, and lack of treatment providers. In many communities, the need for mental health support exceeds the available supply of treatment providers and requires considering opportunities to expand capacity for meeting these needs. DMHIs provide one such opportunity. They are especially appealing to adolescents and young adults, who are more comfortable with technology and its use for communication than older populations, and often have devices that can be used to access DMHIs. They may be especially useful for reaching underserved communities, such as young people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community, who are already accessing online therapy services at higher rates than their peers. However, concerns about privacy, confidentiality, and consent for services by minors need to be addressed. Thousands of DMHIs are publicly available, and many are free, but few have any research evidence that they are effective.

• Target population: Children, adolescents, and young adults (up to 25 years)
• Services/types that fit: Self-help tools and therapy extenders. Services can be self-guided (i.e., use on their own), supported (i.e., digital tools that include some human support to help complete the program), or digital plus solutions (i.e., digital tools that include human support to provide peer support, coaching, and/or therapeutic support). Note: This does not include standard communication technologies that are only being used to provide traditional counseling through a technology platform (e.g., Zoom, Doxy.me, GoToMeeting, etc.), as well as virtual care platforms that solely provide access to therapists through technology (e.g., BetterHelp, Talkspace, Brightline, etc.).
• Delivered by: Digital technology, including websites, mobile applications (i.e., apps), games, wearable devices, online platforms, and virtual and augmented reality
• In order to be included: Program must be provided via digital technology and address mental health support, prevention, and/or treatment for children, adolescents, and/or young adults (up to 25 years).
• In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines either of the following:
• Mental health-related outcomes, such as child and/or adolescent symptom levels, behaviors, and/or functioning
• Mental health prevention-related outcomes, such as child and/or adolescent knowledge and/or preventative behavior