The effectiveness of a wide range of digital and technological interventions, like (guided) self-help interventions, has been well established in mental health research. In optimal situations, often highly-controlled research studies, such digital and technological interventions seem to have a substantial impact, leading to both decreases in participants’ symptoms, as well as improvements in their quality of life. Nevertheless, their impact in clinical practice often seems less pronounced. Not only does their uptake appears to be challenging, but other issues like low adherence or high drop-out hampers the successful use of digital and technological interventions. Potential causes often relate to suboptimal implementation, e.g., technological challenges or poor matching of clients with interventions. As a result, these interventions rarely seem to reach their full potential.
Research has nevertheless already started focusing on how digital and technological interventions are perceived and received by end-users and on the effective and efficient implementation of such interventions. This can help to better assess their actual impact and to reach their full potential, i.e., to increase access to effective health care and obtain a sustainable health care system. Such research on the dissemination, implementation and uptake of digital and technological interventions in practice is still relatively novel and often different compared to that of the development and testing of intervention efficacy. Although initial studies were primarily observational, i.e.., describing problems and barriers, research in recent years has also increasingly started to focus on developing and testing strategies to overcome these.
This Research Topic therefore aims to highlight the important work being done in in this domain, as it has the potential to provide a wealth of information on how to move forward and further optimize (implementation of) digital and technological interventions in mental health(care). It therefore welcomes – amongst other – the following type of studies:
-Studies on attitudes towards digital and technological interventions of general population, mental health professionals and/or patients.
- Studies on strategies for dissemination, increasing reach and uptake of digital and technological interventions.
- Studies on barriers and implementation strategies or on methods to identify, match, and develop those.
- Implementation studies of digital and technological interventions, focusing on usage in naturalistic settings.
- Methodological papers on the development and validation of implementation outcome measures and research designs
- Theoretical or conceptual work on the issue of implementation (in eMH), such as stakeholder involvement.
All types of manuscripts may be submitted.
The effectiveness of a wide range of digital and technological interventions, like (guided) self-help interventions, has been well established in mental health research. In optimal situations, often highly-controlled research studies, such digital and technological interventions seem to have a substantial impact, leading to both decreases in participants’ symptoms, as well as improvements in their quality of life. Nevertheless, their impact in clinical practice often seems less pronounced. Not only does their uptake appears to be challenging, but other issues like low adherence or high drop-out hampers the successful use of digital and technological interventions. Potential causes often relate to suboptimal implementation, e.g., technological challenges or poor matching of clients with interventions. As a result, these interventions rarely seem to reach their full potential.
Research has nevertheless already started focusing on how digital and technological interventions are perceived and received by end-users and on the effective and efficient implementation of such interventions. This can help to better assess their actual impact and to reach their full potential, i.e., to increase access to effective health care and obtain a sustainable health care system. Such research on the dissemination, implementation and uptake of digital and technological interventions in practice is still relatively novel and often different compared to that of the development and testing of intervention efficacy. Although initial studies were primarily observational, i.e.., describing problems and barriers, research in recent years has also increasingly started to focus on developing and testing strategies to overcome these.
This Research Topic therefore aims to highlight the important work being done in in this domain, as it has the potential to provide a wealth of information on how to move forward and further optimize (implementation of) digital and technological interventions in mental health(care). It therefore welcomes – amongst other – the following type of studies:
-Studies on attitudes towards digital and technological interventions of general population, mental health professionals and/or patients.
- Studies on strategies for dissemination, increasing reach and uptake of digital and technological interventions.
- Studies on barriers and implementation strategies or on methods to identify, match, and develop those.
- Implementation studies of digital and technological interventions, focusing on usage in naturalistic settings.
- Methodological papers on the development and validation of implementation outcome measures and research designs
- Theoretical or conceptual work on the issue of implementation (in eMH), such as stakeholder involvement.
All types of manuscripts may be submitted.