Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Apr 28, 2025
Date Accepted: Oct 8, 2025
Impact of Connected Mental Health on Work Environment of Mental Health Clinicians: Protocol for a Systematic Literature Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Many mental health professionals face work-related stress due to high job demands, limited control, and institutional support. Connected Mental Health (CMH) technologies, such as mobile apps and teletherapy platforms, are increasingly proposed to alleviate these job demands. However, their actual influence on clinicians’ work environments remains underexplored. Existing reviews have primarily focused on traditional organizational interventions, leaving a critical gap in understanding how CMH technologies specifically influence the work environment of mental health clinicians.
Objective:
This systematic literature review aims to identify and summarize knowledge about the impact of CMH on the work environment of mental health clinicians.
Methods:
A Systematic literature review will be carried out. The review follows PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO on April 23, 2025. A comprehensive search strategy was developed using the PICO framework in collaboration with an academic librarian. Studies will be sourced from PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library. Inclusion criteria focus on empirical studies involving clinicians using CMH tools, published in English, with peer-reviewed or conference paper status. Data extraction will include publication trends, study methods, and types of CMH technologies. Additionally, the extraction will capture the study results, including qualitative and quantitative findings, along with the measurement instruments employed. Two reviewers will independently select articles for review and extract data. Conflicts will be discussed, and a third reviewer will be consulted if a consensus cannot be reached. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis (via NVivo) will be used to synthesize findings.
Results:
This systematic literature review seeks to explore and synthesize existing research on how CMH technologies affect clinicians’ work environments. The systematic review is expected to be completed in December 2025.
Conclusions:
This review will offer a comprehensive overview of how CMH technologies affect the professional work environment of clinicians. Clinical Trial: PROSPERO 2025 CRD420251018685; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251018685
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