TY - JOUR
AU - E. M. Bassi
AU - K. S. Bright
AU - L. G. Norman
AU - K. Pintson
AU - S. Daniel
AU - S. Sidhu
AU - J. Gondziola
AU - J. Bradley
AU - M. Fersovitch
AU - L. Stamp
AU - K. Moskovic
AU - H. M. LaMonica
AU - F. Iorfino
AU - T. Gaskell
AU - S. Tomlinson
AU - D. W. Johnson
AU - G. Dimitropoulos
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVES: Increased rates of mental health disorders and substance use among youth and young adults have increased globally, furthering the strain on an already burdened mental health system. Digital solutions have been proposed as a potential option for the provision of timely mental health services for youth, with little research exploring mental health professional views about using such innovative tools. In Alberta, Canada, we are evaluating the implementation and integration of a digital mental health (dMH) platform into existing service pathways. Within this paper we seek to explore mental health professionals' perceptions of the barriers and facilitators that may influence their utilization of digital MH-enabled measurement-based care (MBC) with the youth who access their services. METHODS: A qualitative, descriptive methodology was used to inductively generate themes from focus groups conducted with mental health professionals from specialized mental health services and primary care networks in Alberta. RESULTS: As mental health professionals considered the barriers and facilitators of using dMH with youth, they referenced individual and family barriers and facilitators to consider. Providers highlighted perceived barriers, including: first, cultural stigma, family apprehension about mental health care, and parental access to dMH and MBC as deterrents to providers adopting digital platforms in routine care; second, perceptions of increased responsibility and liability for youth in crisis; third, perception that some psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in youth are not amenable to dMH; fourth, professionals contemplated youth readiness to engage with dMH-enabled MBC. Participants also highlighted pertinent facilitators to dMH use, noting: first, the suitability of dMH for youth with mild mental health concerns; second, youth motivated to report their changes in mental health symptoms; and lastly, youth proficiency and preference for dMH options. CONCLUSIONS: By identifying professionals' perceptions of barriers and facilitators for youth users, we may better understand how to address misconceptions about who is eligible and appropriate for dMH through training and education.
AD - Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 2129; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Community, and Education, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.; Heroes in Mind, Advocacy, and Research Consortium (HiMARC), Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Health Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.; Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 2129; Provincial Addiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 3146; Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. RINGGOLD: 4334; Departments of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 2129; Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 2129; Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 2129; Maternal Newborn Child and Youth Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 3146; Calgary Eating Disorders Program, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 3146; Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 2129; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. RINGGOLD: 157744. RINGGOLD: 2129
AN - 38726214
BT - Digit Health
C5 - HIT & Telehealth; Healthcare Disparities
DA - Jan-Dec
DO - 10.1177/20552076241253093
DP - NLM
ET - 20240507
JF - Digit Health
LA - eng
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Increased rates of mental health disorders and substance use among youth and young adults have increased globally, furthering the strain on an already burdened mental health system. Digital solutions have been proposed as a potential option for the provision of timely mental health services for youth, with little research exploring mental health professional views about using such innovative tools. In Alberta, Canada, we are evaluating the implementation and integration of a digital mental health (dMH) platform into existing service pathways. Within this paper we seek to explore mental health professionals' perceptions of the barriers and facilitators that may influence their utilization of digital MH-enabled measurement-based care (MBC) with the youth who access their services. METHODS: A qualitative, descriptive methodology was used to inductively generate themes from focus groups conducted with mental health professionals from specialized mental health services and primary care networks in Alberta. RESULTS: As mental health professionals considered the barriers and facilitators of using dMH with youth, they referenced individual and family barriers and facilitators to consider. Providers highlighted perceived barriers, including: first, cultural stigma, family apprehension about mental health care, and parental access to dMH and MBC as deterrents to providers adopting digital platforms in routine care; second, perceptions of increased responsibility and liability for youth in crisis; third, perception that some psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in youth are not amenable to dMH; fourth, professionals contemplated youth readiness to engage with dMH-enabled MBC. Participants also highlighted pertinent facilitators to dMH use, noting: first, the suitability of dMH for youth with mild mental health concerns; second, youth motivated to report their changes in mental health symptoms; and lastly, youth proficiency and preference for dMH options. CONCLUSIONS: By identifying professionals' perceptions of barriers and facilitators for youth users, we may better understand how to address misconceptions about who is eligible and appropriate for dMH through training and education.
PY - 2024
SN - 2055-2076 (Print); 2055-2076
SP - 20552076241253093
ST - Perceptions of mental health providers of the barriers and facilitators of using and engaging youth in digital mental-health-enabled measurement based care
T1 - Perceptions of mental health providers of the barriers and facilitators of using and engaging youth in digital mental-health-enabled measurement based care
T2 - Digit Health
TI - Perceptions of mental health providers of the barriers and facilitators of using and engaging youth in digital mental-health-enabled measurement based care
U1 - HIT & Telehealth; Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.1177/20552076241253093
VL - 10
VO - 2055-2076 (Print); 2055-2076
Y1 - 2024
ER -