Previously submitted to: JMIR Mental Health (no longer under consideration since Dec 23, 2025)
Date Submitted: Dec 23, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Digital Mental Health Tools to Enhance Evidence-Based Therapy for Youth: A Mixed Methods Study of Clinicians at Independent and Small-Group Practices
ABSTRACT
Background:
Digital mental health (DMH) tools are increasingly used in youth psychotherapy and may reduce burden on clinicians delivering Evidence-Based Treatments (EBTs). However, little is known about how clinicians in usual care settings, namely those in small, private practice settings, perceive and use these tools.
Objective:
This mixed methods study assessed the perspectives of clinicians at independent and small-group practices on incorporating DMH tools into youth mental health care.
Methods:
Survey data were collected from 79 clinicians in two large urban areas to assess attitudes toward EBTs and perceptions of DMH tools. Fifteen clinicians completed qualitative interviews analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results:
Most survey participants endorsed currently using DMH tools (60.9%, n = 39) or being open to doing so (34.4%, n = 22). Positive attitudes toward using DMH tools were associated with openness to innovation (r = .33) and high perceived competency in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (r = .22), whereas negative attitudes were associated with perceived divergence between current and evidence-based practice (r = .40). Clinician demographics showed no association or differences with attitudes toward using DMH tools. Qualitative findings identified accessibility and progress tracking as facilitators to use; barriers included safety, limited knowledge and training, child-therapist connectedness, and cost.
Conclusions:
Mental health clinicians serving youth are receptive to using DMH tools that may support implementation of EBTs in routine care. Clinicians open to new, structured interventions and confident in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy view these tools most favorably. Future research should engage clinicians in effectiveness-implementation hybrid trials to test strategies addressing the identified determinants.
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Copyright
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