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Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Digital Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 23642

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Maria Pietronilla Penna

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Guest Editor

Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy; University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: cognitive processes; artificial intelligence; neural networks; visual processes; memory and knowledge representation; learning and reading comprehension; metacognition; emotions; E-Learning; learning disabilities; new technologies; cyberbullying; smartphone addiction

Dr. Maria Lidia Mascia

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: cognitive processes; metacognition; emotional intelligence; self-regulation; learning processes; e-learning; new technologies; cyberbullying; smartphone addiction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Natale Salvatore Bonfiglio

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: cognitive processes; attention; artificial intelligence; neural networks; visual processes; memory and knowledge representation; new technologies; addictions; serious games
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue to bring together interdisciplinary perspectives on the relationship among digital mental health solutions across the wide range of health, life, technologies and social sciences in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The venue is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

In recent years, there has been a huge expansion of new digital tools and systems for mental health assessment, intervention, support, prevention, and treatment. Many studies highlight the potential positive uses of digital tools and innovative technologies in this field; however, there are also numerous studies that underline the indiscriminate use of such tools and the need to create effective technological services that are truly mental health oriented.

This Special Issue is open to any subject area related to understanding the complexity of digital mental health. The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Prof. Dr. Maria Pietronilla Penna
Dr. Maria Lidia Mascia
Dr. Natale Salvatore Bonfiglio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

digital mental health
new technologies
digital services
wellbeing
quality of life

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Digital Treatment Paths for Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)

by Natale Salvatore Bonfiglio, Maria Lidia Mascia and Maria Pietronilla Penna

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7322; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127322 - 15 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2107

Abstract

Today, there is a considerable expansion in the number of new digital tools and systems for mental health assessment, intervention, support, prevention, and treatment [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

Research

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14 pages, 892 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Emotional Responses in the VR Exhibition Continued Usage Intention: A Moderated Mediation Model

by Minglu Wang, Jong-Yoon Lee, Shanshan Liu and Lingling Hu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5001; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065001 - 12 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1851

Abstract

During COVID-19, many renowned galleries and art fairs used Virtual Reality (VR) exhibitions for art information dissemination and online displays. To avoid the risks of offline viewing of exhibitions, users can access a web-based VR exhibition platform for remote appreciation of artworks, gaining a rich art experience and thus contributing to physical and mental health. The reasons affecting users’ continued usage intentions are not clear enough in the existing studies of VR exhibitions. Therefore, further studies are needed. This paper explores the relationship between users’ escapist experience, aesthetic experience, presence, emotional responses, and continued usage intention through a survey of VR exhibition users. The survey data were collected from 543 users who had experienced the VR exhibition through an online survey website. The study results show that users’ continued usage intentions are influenced by escapist experience and aesthetic experience. Presence plays a mediating role in the influence of escapist experiences and aesthetic experiences on continued usage intention. Emotional responses play a moderating role in the impact of user experience on continued usage intention. This paper provides a theoretical reference for the study of the impact mechanism of continued usage intention of VR exhibitions from the perspective of mental health. In addition, this study enables VR exhibition platforms to better understand the emotional state of users during art experiences to create and share healthy aesthetic information that can contribute to the management and enhancement of mental health. At the same time, it provides valuable and innovative guidance solutions for the future development of VR exhibitions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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12 pages, 483 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Virtual Training on Stress Management for the Mothers of Children with Disabilities in the United Arab Emirates

by Rawhi Abdat, Maxwell Peprah Opoku, Mohammed Safi, Siham Al Harballeh and Rhoda Myra Garces-Bacsal

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021450 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1639

Abstract

Parenting children with disabilities has consistently been reported to be associated with stress, and even more so among mothers who are primary caregivers. In non-Western contexts such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is a dearth of research on maternal mental health in relation to raising children with disabilities and related mitigation strategies. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021), the Federal Government of the UAE used the Save the Child’s Stress Checklist to assess the stress levels of 635 mothers who were raising children with disabilities in the northern part of the country. In the pre-test, an estimated 6% (36/635) of the mothers were found to be experiencing high levels of stress. Consequently, virtual stress management training was conducted, and 12 of the 36 mothers completed the full training. Wilcoxon’s ranked test showed a reduction in their total, physical, emotional and cognitive stress at the end of the training. This study demonstrates the pressing need for ongoing training programmes to improve the mental health of mothers of children with disabilities in the UAE and similar contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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18 pages, 426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Online Implementation Make a Difference in the Effects of a Mental Health Curriculum at Schools?

by Margarida Frade dos Santos, Celeste Simões, Anabela Caetano Santos, Paula Lebre and Ilaria Grazzani

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16990; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416990 - 17 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1640

Abstract

COVID-19 changed and challenged education, with schools obliged to adapt to online settings. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a mental health curriculum implemented at schools, considering the implementation settings: online, onsite, and mixed (online and onsite). From kindergarten to high school, 933 students were evaluated by teachers regarding their social and emotional learning, strengths and difficulties, and academic outcomesin two measuring times: pre- and post-test. A qualitative analysis of teachers’ adaptations to the online implementation was also conducted. Results revealed a positive impact with both mixed and onsite implementation. However, the mixed format demonstrated significant positive changes between the pre—and post-test, namely in relationship skills, responsible decision-making, internalized problems, and academic achievement. The mixed format with few online activities appears to have a more positive impact on students. Nevertheless, implementing social and emotional skills (SES) activities exclusively online seems to positively affect some SES domains more than onsite and mixed formats. Teachers used synchronous (e.g., digital platforms) and asynchronous (e.g., extra resources) adaptations for the implementation. This study shows that implementing mental health programs at schools, in this case, PROMEHS, is beneficial for students, even amidst the pandemic, and regardless of the implementation settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

13 pages, 3175 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preventing Postpartum Depression in the Early Postpartum Period Using an App-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study

by Xiaoli Qin, Chunfeng Liu, Wei Zhu, Yan Chen and Yudong Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16824; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416824 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3357

Abstract

A large proportion of women experience depression during the postpartum period. Few studies have investigated the use of mobile technology to prevent postpartum depression in women. This study investigated the preliminary effectiveness of the CareMom program, a new app-based cognitive behavioral therapy program, on reducing the depressive symptoms of mothers during the very early postpartum period via a pilot randomized controlled study. The participants were recruited during birth hospitalization (within 3 days after giving birth) and randomized to the waiting-list control and CareMom groups. Over the four-week intervention period, the CareMom group was required to complete 28 daily challenges via CareMom. The depressive (via EPDS) and anxiety (via GAD-7) levels of participants were measured at baseline and every 7 days postbaseline for 4 weeks. A total of 112 eligible participants were randomly allocated to the two groups (CareMom: n = 57; control: n = 55). At week 4, the CareMom group achieved a significantly lower EPDS score than the control group at week 4 (p = 0.037). In addition, the EPDS (p < 0.001) scores of the CareMom group were significantly lower than the baseline values. However, the control group did not show any significant reduction in this measure. No significant reduction of GAD-7 scores was observed for CareMom and control groups at week 4. This study provides preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of CareMom in reducing depressive symptoms in the general postpartum population during the very early postpartum period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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16 pages, 1244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Motivation Systems, Anxiety, and Low Self-Control in Smartphone Addiction among Smartphone-Based Social Networking Service (SNS) Users

by Min-Jung Kwak, Hyun Cho and Dai-Jin Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6918; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116918 - 05 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2487

Abstract

Given that Social Networking Service (SNS) has emerged as the most influential platform, which can lead users to addictive smartphone use, it is necessary to investigate which psychological variables lead smartphone-based SNS users to addictive smartphone use. Still, studies on the relationship between psychological variables and addictive smartphone use among smartphone-based SNS users remain to be explored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of psychological factors on smartphone addiction proneness (SAP). A total of 433 smartphone-based SNS users were collected from 5003 adults in Korea. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and path analysis using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 23.0. The results of a parallel-mediation path analysis demonstrated that Behavioral Inhibition (BIS), Behavioral activation (BAS) drive, anxiety, and low self-control directly influenced SAP, separately. BIS and BAS _drive also had significant indirect effects on SAP through the effect of anxiety. BIS and BAS_fun had significant indirect effects on SAP through the effect of low self-control. The study variables accounted for 38.4 of the total variances of SAP. Thus, when establishing interventions to reduce the users’ addictive smartphone use, these interactive relationships of the variables should be considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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Review

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13 pages, 3537 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fully Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Remediation for Adults with Psychosocial Disabilities: A Systematic Scoping Review of Methods Intervention Gaps and Meta-Analysis of Published Effectiveness Studies

by Alessandra Perra, Chiara Laura Riccardo, Valerio De Lorenzo, Erika De Marco, Lorenzo Di Natale, Peter Konstantin Kurotschka, Antonio Preti and Mauro Giovanni Carta

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1527; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021527 - 14 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3388

Abstract

Background: Cognitive Remediation (CR) programs are effective for the treatment of mental diseases; in recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) rehabilitation tools are increasingly used. This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the published randomized controlled trials that used fully immersive VR tools for CR programs in psychiatric rehabilitation. We also wanted to map currently published CR/VR interventions, their methods components, and their evidence base, including the framework of the development intervention of CR in fully immersive VR. Methods: Level 1 of evidence. This study followed the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews and Systematic Review. Three electronic databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase) were systematically searched, and studies were included if they met the eligibility criteria: only randomized clinical trials, only studies with fully immersive VR, and only CR for the adult population with mental disorders. Results: We found 4905 (database) plus 7 (manual/citation searching articles) eligible studies. According to inclusion criteria, 11 studies were finally reviewed. Of these, nine included patients with mild cognitive impairment, one with schizophrenia, and one with mild dementia. Most studies used an ecological scenario, with improvement across all cognitive domains. Although eight studies showed significant efficacy of CR/VR, the interventions’ development was poorly described, and few details were given on the interventions’ components. Conclusions: Although CR/VR seems to be effective in clinical and feasibility outcomes, the interventions and their components are not clearly described. This limits the understanding of the effectiveness and undermines their real-world implementation and the establishment of a gold standard for fully immersive VR/CR. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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16 pages, 574 KiB

Open AccessReview

Digital Help for Substance Users (SU): A Systematic Review

by Natale Salvatore Bonfiglio, Maria Lidia Mascia, Stefania Cataudella and Maria Pietronilla Penna

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11309; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811309 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2105

Abstract

The estimated number of Substance Users (SU) globally has currently reached a very high number and is still increasing. This aspect necessitates appropriate interventions for prevention and specific treatments. The literature shows that digital treatments can be useful in the context of health services and substance abuse. This systematic review focuses mainly on research on the effectiveness of digital treatments for SU. Data sources included studies found on PsycINFO, PubMed, SCOPUS, and WebOfScience (WOS) database searches. The following keywords were used: TITLE (digital OR computer OR software OR tablet OR app OR videogame OR seriousgame OR virtualreality) AND ABSTRACT((mental AND health) AND (addiction OR dependence OR substance OR drug)). We focused on peer-reviewed articles published from 2010 through 2021 using PRISMA guidelines. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria (i.e., type of intervention, efficacy in terms of misuse of substances and scored outcomes from questionnaire or toxicology tests, study methodology). The studies included investigations of specific digital treatments for SU of various kinds of drugs. The interventions were administered using personal computers, smartphones, or, in a few cases, tablets. Most of the interventions focused on the cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) model and/or on the use strategies, tips, or feedback. A minority provided information or training programs. The current review shows that digital treatments and interventions are effective in reducing the frequency of use, augmenting abstinence, or reducing the gravity of dependence for most of the studies at post-treatment. However, due to the heterogeneity of the variables (i.e., substance type, digital tool used, and treatment administered), there was a reduced generalizability of the results. This review highlights the need to continue the research in this field, and above all, to create effective digital protocols. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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Other

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14 pages, 1016 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Telesupervision in Psychotherapy: A Bibliometric and Systematic Review

by Paola Andreucci-Annunziata, Augusto Mellado and Alejandro Vega-Muñoz

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16366; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316366 - 06 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1874

Abstract

(1) Background: This systematic review supported by a bibliometric analysis identified quantitative and qualitative empirical studies that allowed us to respond to the objective of identifying and discussing the scope and limitations of the clinical-psychotherapeutic supervision in virtual modality or telesupervision. (2) Methods: The articles were selected according to the Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and the eligibility criteria proposed by the PICOS strategy (population, interventions, comparators, outcomes, and study design) based on 396 records of scientifically identified articles in the Journal Citation Report databases of the Web of Science. (3) Results: The literature review stages allowed the selection of three articles, which were added three others that were already included in a previous review, to enrich the analysis and discussion. The results of the present review highlighted aspects of nonverbal communication, alliance, comfort, preference, trust, and construction of professional identity, among others, both considering only the telesupervision format and comparing it with traditional face-to-face supervision. (4) Conclusions: The contributions that these results are providing to the understanding of the scope and limitations of the practice of telesupervision are discussed, also considering its interference in the construction of the professional identity of supervisors and supervisees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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16 pages, 538 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

From Monitoring to Assisting: A Systematic Review towards Healthier Workplaces

by Laís Lopes, Ana Rodrigues, Diogo Cabral and Pedro Campos

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16197; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316197 - 03 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1349

Abstract

Long-term stress is associated with a decline in global health, affecting social, intellectual, and economic development alike. Although comprehensive action plans have been implemented to provide people access to mental health services and promote mental well-being, employees’ mental health generally takes second place to productivity and profit in business settings. This review paper offers an overview of the current interactive approaches used for relieving work-related stress associated with mental health. Results from the 38 included studies show that affective computing is used mainly for monitoring purposes and is usually combined with tangible interfaces that collect workers’ physiological changes. Although the ability to sense and predict employees’ affective states can potentially improve mental health in the workplace, there is a substantial disparity between monitoring one’s health and the delivery of practical interventions to mitigate stress found in the surveyed studies. Designing systems that capitalize on embodied interaction principles is paramount, especially in the post-pandemic context, as the concepts of physical and mental safety take on new meanings that must be consciously and carefully addressed, particularly in workplace settings. Finally, this paper highlights the main design implications for the effective implementation of interfaces to help mitigate stress in the workplace. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Mental Health: Innovative Technology and Service)

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