JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The behavioral health toll of the Covid-19 pandemic and systemic racism has increased attention on the potential of digital health to increases access and quality of behavioral healthcare. However, as the pandemic continues to widen health disparities in racial and ethnic minoritized groups, concerns arise around an increased reliance on digital health technologies exacerbating the digital divide and reinforcing rather than mitigating systemic health inequities in communities of color. As funding for digital mental health continues to surge, we offer five key recommendations on how the field can ‘REACT’ to ensure the development of approaches that increase health equity through increasing Real-world evidence; Educating consumers and providers; utilizing Adaptive interventions to optimize care; Creating for diverse populations; and building Trust. Recommendations highlight the need to take a strengths-based view to designing for racial and ethnically diverse populations and embracing the potential of digital approaches to address complex challenges.