Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England
Abstract Background An unprecedented acceleration in digital mental health services happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, people with severe mental ill health (SMI) might be at risk of digital exclusion, partly because of a lack of digital skills, such as digital health literacy. The study...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-023-02299-w |
| _version_ | 1797559292806561792 |
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| author | P Spanakis B Lorimer E Newbronner R Wadman S Crosland S Gilbody G Johnston L. Walker E Peckham |
| author_facet | P Spanakis B Lorimer E Newbronner R Wadman S Crosland S Gilbody G Johnston L. Walker E Peckham |
| author_sort | P Spanakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background An unprecedented acceleration in digital mental health services happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, people with severe mental ill health (SMI) might be at risk of digital exclusion, partly because of a lack of digital skills, such as digital health literacy. The study seeks to examine how the use of the Internet has changed during the pandemic for people with SMI, and explore digital exclusion, symptomatic/health related barriers to internet engagement, and digital health literacy. Methods Over the period from July 2020 to February 2022, n = 177 people with an SMI diagnosis (psychosis-spectrum disorder or bipolar affective disorder) in England completed three surveys providing sociodemographic information and answering questions regarding their health, use of the Internet, and digital health literacy. Results 42.5% of participants reported experiences of digital exclusion. Cochrane-Q analysis showed that there was significantly more use of the Internet at the last two assessments (80.8%, and 82.2%) compared to that at the beginning of the pandemic (65.8%; ps < 0.001). Although 34.2% of participants reported that their digital skills had improved during the pandemic, 54.4% still rated their Internet knowledge as being fair or worse than fair. Concentration difficulties (62.6%) and depression (56.1%) were among the most frequently reported symptomatic barriers to use the Internet. The sample was found to have generally moderate levels of digital health literacy (M = 26.0, SD = 9.6). Multiple regression analysis showed that higher literacy was associated with having outstanding/good self-reported knowledge of the Internet (ES = 6.00; 95% CI: 3.18–8.82; p < .001), a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (compared to psychosis spectrum disorder – ES = 5.14; 95% CI: 2.47–7.81; p < .001), and being female (ES = 3.18; 95% CI: 0.59–5.76; p = .016). Conclusions These findings underline the need for training and support among people with SMI to increase digital skills, facilitate digital engagement, and reduce digital engagement, as well as offering non-digital engagement options to service users with SMI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:43:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9a7e60140594c6386f3df0aae6e683e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6947 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:43:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9a7e60140594c6386f3df0aae6e683e2023-11-20T09:38:38ZengBMCBMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making1472-69472023-09-0123111210.1186/s12911-023-02299-wDigital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in EnglandP Spanakis0B Lorimer1E Newbronner2R Wadman3S Crosland4S Gilbody5G Johnston6L. Walker7E Peckham8Department of Health Sciences, University of YorkDepartment of Health Sciences, University of YorkDepartment of Health Sciences, University of YorkDepartment of Health Sciences, University of YorkDepartment of Health Sciences, University of YorkDepartment of Health Sciences, University of YorkIndependent Peer ResearcherSchool of Health and Psychological Sciences, City, University of LondonSchool of Medical and Health Sciences, Bangor UniversityAbstract Background An unprecedented acceleration in digital mental health services happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, people with severe mental ill health (SMI) might be at risk of digital exclusion, partly because of a lack of digital skills, such as digital health literacy. The study seeks to examine how the use of the Internet has changed during the pandemic for people with SMI, and explore digital exclusion, symptomatic/health related barriers to internet engagement, and digital health literacy. Methods Over the period from July 2020 to February 2022, n = 177 people with an SMI diagnosis (psychosis-spectrum disorder or bipolar affective disorder) in England completed three surveys providing sociodemographic information and answering questions regarding their health, use of the Internet, and digital health literacy. Results 42.5% of participants reported experiences of digital exclusion. Cochrane-Q analysis showed that there was significantly more use of the Internet at the last two assessments (80.8%, and 82.2%) compared to that at the beginning of the pandemic (65.8%; ps < 0.001). Although 34.2% of participants reported that their digital skills had improved during the pandemic, 54.4% still rated their Internet knowledge as being fair or worse than fair. Concentration difficulties (62.6%) and depression (56.1%) were among the most frequently reported symptomatic barriers to use the Internet. The sample was found to have generally moderate levels of digital health literacy (M = 26.0, SD = 9.6). Multiple regression analysis showed that higher literacy was associated with having outstanding/good self-reported knowledge of the Internet (ES = 6.00; 95% CI: 3.18–8.82; p < .001), a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (compared to psychosis spectrum disorder – ES = 5.14; 95% CI: 2.47–7.81; p < .001), and being female (ES = 3.18; 95% CI: 0.59–5.76; p = .016). Conclusions These findings underline the need for training and support among people with SMI to increase digital skills, facilitate digital engagement, and reduce digital engagement, as well as offering non-digital engagement options to service users with SMI.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-023-02299-wSevere mental illnessSchizophreniaBipolar disorderInternetDigital Health LiteraryDigital divide |
| spellingShingle | P Spanakis B Lorimer E Newbronner R Wadman S Crosland S Gilbody G Johnston L. Walker E Peckham Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making Severe mental illness Schizophrenia Bipolar disorder Internet Digital Health Literary Digital divide |
| title | Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England |
| title_full | Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England |
| title_fullStr | Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England |
| title_short | Digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in England |
| title_sort | digital health literacy and digital engagement for people with severe mental ill health across the course of the covid 19 pandemic in england |
| topic | Severe mental illness Schizophrenia Bipolar disorder Internet Digital Health Literary Digital divide |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-023-02299-w |
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