JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

In-person traditional approaches to mental health care services are facing difficulties amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Recent social distancing has revamped the attention on non-traditional mental health care delivery to overcome the difficult access to services and fill the void. Tele-health has been established for several decades but has only been able to fill a small gap in services. Mental health mobile and tele-digital health complements are well poised to respond to the upsurge of COVID-19 cases. Screening and tracking with real-time automation and machine learning are useful for both assisting psychological first aid resources and targeting interventions. Of concern is the rigorous evaluation of these new opportunities in terms of quality of interventions, effectiveness and confidentiality. Service delivery could be broadened to include trained unlicensed professionals whom may help health care services in delivering evidence‐based strategies. Digital mental health services emerged during the pandemic as complementary ways of assisting community members to adjust to stress and transitioning to new ways of living and working. As part of a hybrid model of care, technologies (mobile and online platforms) require consolidated and consistent guidelines as well as consensus, expert, and position statements on the automation and machine learning screening and tracking of mental health in general populations as well as consideration and initiatives for vulnerable and underserved subpopulations.