JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Every year, 1 in 4 people in the UK experience diagnosable mental health concerns, yet only a proportion receive a timely diagnosis and treatment. With novel developments in digital technologies, the potential to increase access to mental health assessments and triage is promising.

Objective:

To investigate the current state of mental health provision in the UK as well as understand the utility and interest in digital mental health technologies. To investigate attitudes towards using a digital tool (eg, mobile app) to assess mental health symptoms.

Methods:

An online survey was generated using Qualtrics XM® and participants were recruited via social media and organic posts on relevant forums. Data were explored using descriptive statistics.

Results:

Data from 618 participants were analyzed. The majority (89.8%, n=555) of respondents had discussed their mental health with a general practitioner. Approximately 80% (n=503) of respondents were diagnosed with a mental health disorder, with the most common diagnoses being depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Diagnostic waiting times varied by diagnosis. Neurodevelopmental disorders, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders had the longest waiting times, with almost half of these diagnoses taking longer than six months (53.6% (n=30), 48.1% (n=25), 47.5% (n=48), respectively). 83.2% (n=262) expressed waiting times resulted in symptoms worsening, lower quality of life (52.7%, n=166), and the necessity to seek emergency care (34.6%, n=109). 62.5% of respondents (n=386) expressed that they felt their mental health symptoms were not always taken seriously by their health care provider, 48.1% (n=297) were not given any psychoeducational information, and 77.5% (n=416) did not have the chance to discuss mental health support and treatment options. Critically, 16.1% (n=96) did not find any treatment or support provided at all helpful, with 63.2% (n=48) having discontinued treatment with no effective alternatives. In terms of digital technology use, 88% (n=545) of respondents had sought help online regarding mental health symptoms and 44.4% (n=272) had used a web or smartphone app for their mental health. Psychoeducation (61.1%, n=364), followed by signposting and referral to a health care professional (55.7%, n=332), and monitoring symptoms (52.7%, n=314) were the most desired app features. Only 6.8% (n=40) said they would not be interested in using a mental health assessment app. In a hypothetical results report, respondents were most interested to receive an overall severity score of their mental health symptoms (80.8%, n=441) and an indication of whether they should seek mental health support (83.2%, n=454).

Conclusions:

Key gaps in current UK mental health care provision were highlighted. Assessment and treatment waiting times together with a lack of information regarding symptoms and treatment options translated in poor care experiences. The responses provide proof-of-concept support for the development of a digital mental health assessment app and valuable recommendations regarding desirable app features.