Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health Experience
IntroductionPersonal technology (e.g., smartphones, wearable health devices) has been leveraged extensively for mental health purposes, with upwards of 20,000 mobile applications on the market today and has been considered an important implementation strategy to overcome barriers many people face in...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Digital Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.840169/full |
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| author | Molly Woerner Nichole Sams Nichole Sams Cristian Rivera Nales Cristian Rivera Nales Tara Gorstein Morgan Johnson Brittany A. Mosser Brittany A. Mosser Patricia A. Areán Patricia A. Areán |
| author_facet | Molly Woerner Nichole Sams Nichole Sams Cristian Rivera Nales Cristian Rivera Nales Tara Gorstein Morgan Johnson Brittany A. Mosser Brittany A. Mosser Patricia A. Areán Patricia A. Areán |
| author_sort | Molly Woerner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPersonal technology (e.g., smartphones, wearable health devices) has been leveraged extensively for mental health purposes, with upwards of 20,000 mobile applications on the market today and has been considered an important implementation strategy to overcome barriers many people face in accessing mental health care. The main question yet to be addressed is the role consumers feel technology should play in their care. One underserved demographic often ignored in this discussion are people over the age of 60. The population of adults 60 and older is predicted to double by 2,050 signaling a need to address how older adults view technology for their mental health care.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to better understand why digital mental health tools are not as broadly adopted as predicted, what role people with lived mental health experience feel technology should play in their care and how those results compare across age groups.MethodIn a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed results from a one-time cross-sectional survey that included 998 adults aged 18–83 with lived experience of mental health concerns recruited from Prolific, an online research platform. We surveyed participant's use of technology including their perspectives on using technology in conjunction with their mental health care. We asked participants about their previous use of digital mental health tools, their treatment preferences for mental health care, and the role technology should play in their mental health care.ResultsAcross all age groups, respondents had favorable views of using digital mental health for managing mental health care. However, older adults rated their acceptability of digital mental health tools lower than middle-aged and younger adults. When asked what role technology should play in mental health care in an open-ended response, most participants responded that technology should play a complementary role in mental health care (723/954, 75.8%).ConclusionDigital mental health is seen as a valuable care management tool across all age groups, but preferences for its role in care remain largely administrative and supportive. Future development of digital mental health should reflect these preferences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:25:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9becd49c4c69461782a6b4de7f76cd40 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-253X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:25:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-9becd49c4c69461782a6b4de7f76cd402022-12-21T23:44:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Digital Health2673-253X2022-02-01410.3389/fdgth.2022.840169840169Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health ExperienceMolly Woerner0Nichole Sams1Nichole Sams2Cristian Rivera Nales3Cristian Rivera Nales4Tara Gorstein5Morgan Johnson6Brittany A. Mosser7Brittany A. Mosser8Patricia A. Areán9Patricia A. Areán10Conducting Research to Enhance Assessment and Treatment Through Innovation in Mental Health (CREATIV) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesConducting Research to Enhance Assessment and Treatment Through Innovation in Mental Health (CREATIV) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesAdvanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults With Mental Illness (ALACRITY Center), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesConducting Research to Enhance Assessment and Treatment Through Innovation in Mental Health (CREATIV) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesAdolescent Adversity and Depression Intervention (AADI) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesConducting Research to Enhance Assessment and Treatment Through Innovation in Mental Health (CREATIV) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesAdvanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults With Mental Illness (ALACRITY Center), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesConducting Research to Enhance Assessment and Treatment Through Innovation in Mental Health (CREATIV) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesAdvanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults With Mental Illness (ALACRITY Center), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesConducting Research to Enhance Assessment and Treatment Through Innovation in Mental Health (CREATIV) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesAdvanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults With Mental Illness (ALACRITY Center), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesIntroductionPersonal technology (e.g., smartphones, wearable health devices) has been leveraged extensively for mental health purposes, with upwards of 20,000 mobile applications on the market today and has been considered an important implementation strategy to overcome barriers many people face in accessing mental health care. The main question yet to be addressed is the role consumers feel technology should play in their care. One underserved demographic often ignored in this discussion are people over the age of 60. The population of adults 60 and older is predicted to double by 2,050 signaling a need to address how older adults view technology for their mental health care.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to better understand why digital mental health tools are not as broadly adopted as predicted, what role people with lived mental health experience feel technology should play in their care and how those results compare across age groups.MethodIn a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed results from a one-time cross-sectional survey that included 998 adults aged 18–83 with lived experience of mental health concerns recruited from Prolific, an online research platform. We surveyed participant's use of technology including their perspectives on using technology in conjunction with their mental health care. We asked participants about their previous use of digital mental health tools, their treatment preferences for mental health care, and the role technology should play in their mental health care.ResultsAcross all age groups, respondents had favorable views of using digital mental health for managing mental health care. However, older adults rated their acceptability of digital mental health tools lower than middle-aged and younger adults. When asked what role technology should play in mental health care in an open-ended response, most participants responded that technology should play a complementary role in mental health care (723/954, 75.8%).ConclusionDigital mental health is seen as a valuable care management tool across all age groups, but preferences for its role in care remain largely administrative and supportive. Future development of digital mental health should reflect these preferences.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.840169/fullolder adultsdigital mental healthlived experiencetechnologymental health |
| spellingShingle | Molly Woerner Nichole Sams Nichole Sams Cristian Rivera Nales Cristian Rivera Nales Tara Gorstein Morgan Johnson Brittany A. Mosser Brittany A. Mosser Patricia A. Areán Patricia A. Areán Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health Experience Frontiers in Digital Health older adults digital mental health lived experience technology mental health |
| title | Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health Experience |
| title_full | Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health Experience |
| title_fullStr | Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health Experience |
| title_short | Generational Perspectives on Technology's Role in Mental Health Care: A Survey of Adults With Lived Mental Health Experience |
| title_sort | generational perspectives on technology s role in mental health care a survey of adults with lived mental health experience |
| topic | older adults digital mental health lived experience technology mental health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.840169/full |
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