(Source: https://www.med-technews.com/) by Dr. Derek Richards
Mental health application concept. Close up of a smartphone screen with variety of emotion icon asking "How are you feeling?". Expressions, Covid 19 pandemic, Physical and mental balance, Healthcare
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented rise in the number of people globally in need of mental health services. The current scale of need is at levels which constitute a pandemic. No country has the human resource capacity to meet the current mental health need; therefore, turning to digital solutions to deliver care is becoming a requirement. Digital Mental Health Interventions (DMHI) deliver in terms of both accessibility and affordability, offering patients real, tangible clinical benefits. However, it is important to be mindful that not all online mental health apps and platforms are backed with the same level of clinical validation.
Digital mental health platforms and programmes such as those designed by SilverCloud Health (NHS’s prime provider or digital mental health solutions) offer evidence-based treatments shown to be as effective as face-to-face delivery (Andersson et al, 2013). SilverCloud DMHIs are evidenced to provide clinical benefits post-treatment and to maintain these benefits in the long term (Richards et al., 2020, Palacios et al., 2022; Eilert et al., 2022). Many individuals report a preference for the convenience and ease of access, as well as the relative anonymity that internet-delivered services can offer (e.g. Boydell et al, 2014).
Several global phenomena have contributed to the dramatic surge in digital mental health solutions
The demand-supply discrepancy in mental health care is widely recognised, often known as the treatment gap (Kohn, et al., 2004). Mental health care is an area calling out for innovative approaches to service delivery. Consistent with this, venture capital (VC) companies have in turn been pursuing digital mental health and wellness-oriented technologies with interest. A record-breaking $5.1 billion has been invested in mental health start-ups in 2021 by the VC industry - a fourfold increase when compared to 2019, and a tenfold increase since 2017 (Rock Health, Jan 2022).
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