Trinity researchers join international experts in pioneering digital mental health treatments
Posted on: 27 January 2021
Scientists from the E-mental Health Group at the School of Psychology, Trinity College, were among 23 international partners who met remotely last summer to review how internet interventions are being used for the management, diagnosis and prevention of mental health conditions in the US. The meetings, held at the The Banbury Centre, Long Island, NYC identified the primary challenges to the adoption of Digital Mental Health Treatments (DMHTs) in the U.S. healthcare system. The meeting developed a consensus statement which has been published in The American Psychiatric Association journal, Psychiatric Services here.
A major obstacle to mental health treatment for many Americans is accessibility: the U.S. faces a shortage of mental health providers, resulting in federally designated shortage areas. Digital mental health treatments (DMHT) are effective interventions for common mental disorders but have not been widely adopted by the American healthcare system. National and international expert stakeholders representing healthcare organizations, insurance and payers, employers, patients, research, policy, health economics, DMHT companies, and the investment community reviewed the evidence for DMHTs, identified the challenges to successful and sustainable implementation, examined factors that have contributed to more successful implementation internationally, and developed recommendations.
Dr Derek Richards, Senior Research Fellow, School of Psychology, Trinity College said:
Through years of rigorous trialling, digital mental health treatments have consistently proven to be effective interventions while also solving the issue of access that many face, yet there is a noticeable gap in adoption, reimbursement and regulation of these treatments within the U.S. healthcare system.
Amid the pandemic, DMHTs are helping to meet the increased demand and reduce the barriers that often prevent people from seeking care in traditional settings, as demand for mental health services – even before the pandemic – has long been higher than supply. We believe now is the time for the power and clinical outcomes of these programs to be realised, and our hope is for policymakers and stakeholders to unite in creating a framework that enables the broad adoption of these tools within the U.S. healthcare system.
Highlights of the study
- Digital mental health treatments (DMHTs) have consistently demonstrated effectiveness
for common mental disorders, yet they have not been broadly integrated into the U.S.healthcare system.
- The Banbury Forum, which included a broad range of national and international stakeholders, made three recommendations based on the evidence: 1) DMHTs should be broadly adopted in the U.S. healthcare system; 2) reimbursement mechanisms should be established to enable that adoption; and 3) An evidence standards framework for the evaluation of DMHTs should be developed.
- The integration of DMHTs into care pathways could improve the efficiency of mental health services and would extend effective treatment to many people with mental health problems who are currently unable to access treatment.
Recommendations
The Banbury Forum proposed the following recommendations:
(1) Guided DMHTs should be offered to all patients experiencing common mental disorders; (2) DMHT products and services should be reimbursable to support integration into the American healthcare landscape;
(3) An evidence standards framework should be developed to support decision makers in evaluating DMHTs.
The E-mental health research group at Trinity’s School of Psychology aims to become a world leader in the science and practice of e-mental health interventions. They seek to contribute to the science and practice of a broad range of technology-facilitated interventions for health and behavioural health. Through the study of the unique aspects of internet-delivered interventions for behavioural and mental health, in a wide range of settings and for different patient populations, the group aims to drive the young but exciting field of e-mental health forward.