Digital mental health interventions for young people – review of the literature

Abstract

The mental health of young people is a growing global public concern. Around 1 in 5 young people experience mental ill health symptoms each year, yet due to many barriers facing this generation, most are not seen or treated. Digital mental health interventions have emerged as a powerful tool in addressing the mental health needs of young people. Digital solutions can be a convenient and cost effective way to complement traditional mental health care, and can reach those who cannot easily access face-to-face support. A scoping review was conducted to determine digital mental health promotion and intervention approaches that exist to support young people’s mental health. The scoping review included studies that focus on mental wellbeing, mental health and mental ill-ness, including all types of digital interventions such as websites, games and computer assisted programmes, robots and digital devices, virtual reality and mobile text messaging. Inclusion criteria covered studies that reported on a population of young people between ages of 12-25, with validated pre and post mental health or wellbeing primary outcome measures included. All types of studies published from 2017 onwards were included. The results will report on the types of interventions used in this field, along with the range of delivery methods and modalities employed and the adherence to the digital supports offered. Barriers to engagement with digital mental health supports and issues that need to be overcome will be outlined. This review will provide a number of recommendations for future work in this field. While digital interventions should not replace professional care, they have shown promise in improving mental health outcomes and can be a valuable component of a comprehensive mental health strategy for young people’s wellbeing