Is Digital Technology The Solution For The Mental Health Gap?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022), Mental health problems significantly impact illness, premature death and disability around the world.
If we look at the figures provided by the WHO, approximately 1 in 10 people in the world suffers from a mental health disorder; 1 in 4 families has a member with a mental health disorder, only 1% of global health professional resources address mental health and 76-85% of people with mental health disorders in countries with low socioeconomic levels or media do not receive any type of treatment.
On the other hand, in the last ten years, Access to new technologies and the Internet around the world has increased At the same time, costs have been considerably reduced. In this way, the growing accessibility of mobile devices such as smartphones has made the use of technologies in our daily lives increasingly common.
Given the exponential development of digital technology, its growing availability and extensive accessibility, it is worth considering that digital technology could be a key to facing the mental health gap, that is, the existing gap between the resources available to care for mental health and the resources really necessary.
Mental health technology solutions offer certain advantages. Among them, the immediacy stands out due to the possibility that people (both patients and professionals) can access effective tools practically from anywhere.
Taking into account costs, we also find that technology usually offers cheaper and more accessible options that face-to-face care in mental health resources, from the costs of transportation/transfer to the professional consultation that disappear, to the possibility of accessing a digital resource that does not have to be a therapy as such (ie mental health apps for perform breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness techniques).
It is interesting to comment at this point that it is currently estimated that There are between 10,000 and 20,000 mental health apps on the market (American Psychological Association APA, 2021).
Another interesting advantage that technological solutions provide us is found in that aimed at the mental health professional himself regarding his training and professional enrichment, since he can access courses, conferences, conferences and other training and/or spaces for professional growth in a way much simpler and more efficient, compared to the classic in-person alternatives.
THE case of the coronavirus crisis
A recent example where we have been able to verify the contributions of digital technology to mental health lies in the COVID-19 pandemic. The health crisis has highlighted not only the importance of mental health, but also the limits of an overwhelmed health system which is not enough to cover the demand of the population.
It has been in this critical situation when technology has assumed a primary role. They have been especially useful the solutions presented by virtual care such as online psychotherapy, which have provided a way to start or maintain psychological treatment.
In fact, just as teleworking appeared hastily and has been maintained in some cases as a habitual and non-exceptional reality, digital mental health resources may follow the same path and have appeared imminently to stay.
The drawbacks
However, despite all the advantages that we can find in this digital transformation of mental health care, there are many risks or inconveniences that may arise and which, therefore, we must address. It should be noted the duty of responsibility towards the data that digital solutions must assume since the information they can collect is delicate, intimate and sensitive, the challenges posed by its correct protection being challenging in practice.
On the other hand, in this field of digital advancement in mental health, it is very necessary that there be effectiveness tests so that solutions are evidence-based just like any other psychological treatment to which a person is entitled.
In conclusion, we find ourselves facing a situation in which public investment in mental health is insufficient, with a significant lack of human and economic resources to provide the necessary care, and where digital technology can help reduce the severity of the mental health gap. efficiently, without forgetting its risks and its state of maturity in the process where we still need studies and other evidence to support the efficiency of said solutions.
