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Technological and Digital Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Useful,...
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Technological and Digital Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Useful, Usable, and Safe?

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 25973

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Armaou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Patient-Centred Outcomes, ICON plc, Dublin 18, Ireland
2. School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
Interests: workplace wellbeing; digital interventions; eHealth; mHealth; health promotion; organisational psychology; wellbeing and resilience
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New digital tools and technologies are being continuously developed and integrated into society and clinical care. The advantages of digital health interventions (DHI) (e.g., internet programs, apps, wearables, robotic systems etc.) include their accessibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and high treatment fidelity. The use of digital technologies can serve multiple functions in DHIs, including the facilitation of health communication, psychoeducation, screening, diagnosis and digital phenotyping, symptom management, collection of digital patient-reported outcomes, behaviour change monitoring, self-help content delivery, therapeutic treatment, prevention relapse, and many others.

Intervention acceptability and user engagement are central to the feasibility and successful implementation of DHIs. Generally, intervention acceptability is a multi-component construct and a key component of the design, implementation, and evaluation of all healthcare interventions, but often lacks robust evaluation (Sekhon et al., 2018). Previous research has highlighted the importance of understanding individuals’ motivations and approaches towards DHIs, as these can shape users’ engagement with the intervention (Patel et al., 2020), as well as the importance of addressing the impact of social context on the acceptability of digital interventions (Perski & Short, 2021).

Social sciences’ approaches, methods, and frameworks are well equipped to provide such analyses (Ruppert et al., 2013; Henwood & Marent, 2019) and highlight key factors that can determine digital interventions’ implementation, uptake, and use.

We are especially interested in the ways in which social sciences approaches, knowledge, or methods can explore the advantages and disadvantages of technological and digital interventions for mental health and wellbeing. For example, how can approaches in critical digital health inform their design, implementation, and evaluation? 

Suggested topics may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • A focus on ethical standards: ethical dilemmas for different stakeholders and ethical implementation (Wykes et al. 2019; Skorburg & Yim, 2021), and individuals’ sense of data generated via their interactions with digital technologies.
  • A focus on intervention acceptability and intervention adoption: acceptability and appropriateness of ehealth solutions, and the impact of sociostructural factors in accessing and taking up digital health interventions.
  • A focus on users’ engagement: the characteristics of disengagement and effective engagement in digital interventions, philosophical approaches that theorise the lived experience of using digital technologies, impact of sociocultural contexts on users’ behaviour, and barriers and facilitators to engagement with digital mental health interventions.
  • A focus on mental health interventions with minority/marginalised populations and mental health in the context of gender, disabilities and sexualities, in addition to social disadvantages.

Dr. Maria Armaou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • DHIs acceptability
  • technology acceptance
  • acceptability of digital patient-reported outcome measures
  • social context
  • ethics
  • design and evaluation of DHIs
  • barriers and facilitators to user engagement
  • co-production
  • globalisation and mental healthcare

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 497 KiB  
Article
A Sleep Health Education Intervention Improves Sleep Knowledge in Social Work Students
by Christine E. Spadola, Danielle Groton, Minjaal Raval, Cassie J. Hilditch, Kerry Littlewood, Philip Baiden, Suzanne Bertisch and Eric S. Zhou
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070364 - 10 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1389
Abstract
Introduction: Social workers, the largest group of mental health clinicians in the United States, play a pivotal role in mental health promotion. Despite the importance of sleep for mental health, there is no empirical research on sleep education interventions for social workers. Method: [...] Read more.
Introduction: Social workers, the largest group of mental health clinicians in the United States, play a pivotal role in mental health promotion. Despite the importance of sleep for mental health, there is no empirical research on sleep education interventions for social workers. Method: We designed an online sleep health education intervention to equip social work students to promote healthy sleep practices among their clients. An interdisciplinary team of experts devised the 90 min intervention using an empirically supported behavioral change theoretical model (COM-B). The intervention discusses multi-level factors that impact sleep and emphasizes considerations for health disparities in populations commonly served by social workers (e.g., unhoused populations, clients with substance use disorders, etc.). We assessed sleep knowledge, sleep quality, and acceptability using survey and focus group data. Results: Ninety social work students (92.2% female, 38.8% non-Hispanic white) completed pre- and post-intervention assessments. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in sleep health knowledge and their personal sleep quality. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed perceived usefulness for social work practice. Conclusions: A short online sleep education intervention can improve sleep health knowledge, offering a practical method to expand social workers’ understanding of healthy sleep promotion that can be readily implemented in clinical training and practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Digital Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Useful, Usable, and Safe?)
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24 pages, 393 KiB  
Article
Creating Mentally Healthy Universities: Lessons from Staff Experiences of Transition through the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Michelle Jayman and Siobhan Lynam
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070343 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 845
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic generated unprecedented challenges for educators world-wide. University teaching staff were forced to rapidly adapt to virtual classrooms during lockdown and the return to campus has seen continuing flux. Poor student mental wellbeing is a major concern and although nascent digital [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic generated unprecedented challenges for educators world-wide. University teaching staff were forced to rapidly adapt to virtual classrooms during lockdown and the return to campus has seen continuing flux. Poor student mental wellbeing is a major concern and although nascent digital mental health interventions can increase reach and augment in-person services, research on the effectiveness of digital interventions is still in its infancy. The implementation of hybrid solutions is challenging due to the complexity and diversity of institutions; however, important lessons can be learned from the switch to online teaching and the integration of digital technologies during the transition process. This paper explores staff experiences of transition through the pandemic using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three teaching academics from English universities. Analysis yielded four group experiential themes: Transition was a traumatic process; Relationships as a source of support and strain; Opportunities for learning and growth; and Surviving and inspiring the mental wellbeing environment. Key findings revealed the switch to online working presented unique stressors, while relationships were pivotal for navigating transition and healthy personal development. Findings can inform transition guidance including the integration of hybrid pathways to support mental wellbeing for the whole learning community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Digital Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Useful, Usable, and Safe?)

Review

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15 pages, 714 KiB  
Review
Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence Interventions for Mental Health and Well-Being: Ensuring Responsible Implementation and Impact
by Hamid Reza Saeidnia, Seyed Ghasem Hashemi Fotami, Brady Lund and Nasrin Ghiasi
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070381 - 22 Jul 2024
Viewed by 15767
Abstract
AI has the potential to revolutionize mental health services by providing personalized support and improving accessibility. However, it is crucial to address ethical concerns to ensure responsible and beneficial outcomes for individuals. This systematic review examines the ethical considerations surrounding the implementation and [...] Read more.
AI has the potential to revolutionize mental health services by providing personalized support and improving accessibility. However, it is crucial to address ethical concerns to ensure responsible and beneficial outcomes for individuals. This systematic review examines the ethical considerations surrounding the implementation and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) interventions in the field of mental health and well-being. To ensure a comprehensive analysis, we employed a structured search strategy across top academic databases, including PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. The search scope encompassed articles published from 2014 to 2024, resulting in a review of 51 relevant articles. The review identifies 18 key ethical considerations, including 6 ethical considerations associated with using AI interventions in mental health and wellbeing (privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, bias and fairness, transparency and accountability, autonomy and human agency, and safety and efficacy); 5 ethical principles associated with the development and implementation of AI technologies in mental health settings to ensure responsible practice and positive outcomes (ethical framework, stakeholder engagement, ethical review, bias mitigation, and continuous evaluation and improvement); and 7 practices, guidelines, and recommendations for promoting the ethical use of AI in mental health interventions (adhere to ethical guidelines, ensure transparency, prioritize data privacy and security, mitigate bias and ensure fairness, involve stakeholders, conduct regular ethical reviews, and monitor and evaluate outcomes). This systematic review highlights the importance of ethical considerations in the responsible implementation and impact of AI interventions for mental health and well-being. By addressing privacy, bias, consent, transparency, human oversight, and continuous evaluation, we can ensure that AI interventions like chatbots and AI-enabled medical devices are developed and deployed in an ethically sound manner, respecting individual rights, promoting fairness, and maximizing benefits while minimizing potential harm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Digital Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Useful, Usable, and Safe?)
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22 pages, 3961 KiB  
Review
Research Trends in the Study of Acceptability of Digital Mental Health-Related Interventions: A Bibliometric and Network Visualisation Analysis
by Maria Armaou
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(2), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13020114 - 12 Feb 2024
Viewed by 3262
Abstract
The acceptability of digital health interventions is a multifaceted concept that is central to user engagement. It is influenced by cultural and social norms and it is, also, a key consideration for intervention development and evaluation. For this reason, it is important to [...] Read more.
The acceptability of digital health interventions is a multifaceted concept that is central to user engagement. It is influenced by cultural and social norms and it is, also, a key consideration for intervention development and evaluation. For this reason, it is important to have a clear overview of how research in digital interventions’ acceptability has evolved, what type of measures or assessments have been most frequently utilised, and what may be the implications for the knowledge area and future research directions. The purpose of this bibliometric and network visualization analysis was to explore the main research patterns in the study of the acceptability of digital mental health interventions and highlight the key characteristics of knowledge production on this topic. The Web of Science was searched for relevant primary studies, with 990 documents selected for inclusion in this bibliometric analysis. Publications’ metrics, text and author keyword analysis, and bibliographical coupling of the documents provided insights into how technological developments, specific research interests, research priorities, and contexts have shaped research in the field. The main differentiation in acceptability approaches emanated from the studies’ research designs, the stage of intervention development and evaluation, and the extent to which there was a focus on user attitudes, experience, and engagement. These differentiations further indicate the importance of having clarity as to what concepts or elements of acceptability a study addresses as well as approaches that have the potential to address the complexities of acceptability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Digital Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Useful, Usable, and Safe?)
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Other

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11 pages, 2361 KiB  
Project Report
Patient and Clinician Experiences with Sharing Data Visualizations Integrated into Mental Health Treatment
by Sarah Chang, Lucy Gray, Noy Alon and John Torous
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(12), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12120648 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2250
Abstract
Digital mental health tools can collect vast amounts of data, but little research has been conducted on the impact of visualizing and sharing these data with patients in a clinical setting. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted via a HIPAA compliant platform [...] Read more.
Digital mental health tools can collect vast amounts of data, but little research has been conducted on the impact of visualizing and sharing these data with patients in a clinical setting. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted via a HIPAA compliant platform with 10 patients and 5 clinicians in a digital mental health clinic about their experience with the integration of personal data visualizations into care. These interviews, spanning from April 2023 to July 2023, centered around the utility, meaningfulness, and clarity of the visualizations. The qualitative data were subsequently analyzed through an inductive approach for thematic analysis. Themes identified from patient interviews included the ability of visualizations to encourage reflection and action while also providing validation and motivation. Both clinicians and patients noted the importance of having an intermediary (digital navigator) to assist in interpreting the visualizations. The type of visualization preferred by patients varied from patient to patient. Overall, our findings highlight the value of utilizing visualizations in clinical care as a clear and effective way to communicate personal health data to patients and clinicians, suggesting the benefit of continued co-design with all parties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Digital Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Useful, Usable, and Safe?)
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