JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital approaches may be helpful in augmenting care to address unmet mental health needs, particularly in severe mental illness (SMI).

Objective:

An international multidisciplinary group was convened to reach consensus points on the challenges and potential solutions in collecting data, delivering treatment and the ethical challenges in digital mental health approaches in SMI.

Methods:

The consensus development panel method was used, with an in-person meeting of two groups: the experts and the panel. Membership was multidisciplinary, including those with lived experience. Relevant literature was shared in advance of the meeting and a systematic search of the recent literature was completed to ensure the panel was informed before the meeting with the experts.

Results:

Four broad areas of challenge and proposed solutions were identified: (i) user involvement for real coproduction, (ii) new approaches to methodology in digital mental health, including agreed standards, data sharing, measuring harms, prevention strategies and mechanistic research (iii) regulation and funding issues (iv) implementation in real-world settings (including multidisciplinary collaboration, training, augmenting existing service provision, social and population-focussed approaches). Examples are provided with more detail on human-centred research design, lived experience perspectives and biomedical ethics in digital mental health approaches in SMI.

Conclusions:

The consensus agreed on a number of recommendations: (i) a new and improved approach to digital mental health research (with agreed reporting standards, data sharing, and shared protocols) (ii) equal emphasis on social and population research as well as biological and psychological approaches (iii) meaningful collaborations across varied disciplines that have previously not worked closely together (iv) increased focus on the business model and product with planning and new funding structures across the whole development pathway (v) increased focus and reporting on ethical issues and potential harms (vi) organisational changes to allow true communication and coproduction with those with lived experience.