In a time of increasingly overburdened healthcare systems, practitioners face a pressing need for more cost-effective, accessible mental healthcare solutions.
e-Mental health services provide an advanced, effective response to this challenge by making important treatments available to patients using the internet. In this article, we’ll explore what an e-mental health service can look like and the problems they aim to solve.
We’ll also consider their benefits in comparison to conventional mental health solutions, and highlight some top e-mental health conferences where you can learn more about the field.
Before reading on further, we think you’ll love our $1 trial of all Quenza’s e-mental health tools. Quenza is a complete blended care software solution that will help you share e-mental health solutions professionally online, and gives you everything you need to deliver personalized e-therapy for even better patient outcomes.
What is E-Mental Health?
E-mental health is a catch-all term for any mental health service, treatment, information, or care that is delivered via the internet or connected device.[1][2]
Short for electronic mental health, it can include a vast range of resources, tools, and interventions, made available anyone with an internet connection via:
- Social Media
- Websites
- Chat rooms, Forums, or Discussion Boards
- Smartphone apps, and
- Specialized Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) or Video-based e-counseling virtual therapy app.
Some of the most well-recognized and widely popular e-mental health interventions include Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT), online peer-support groups, and therapist-delivered e-therapy.[1]
Who Is It For?
Practitioners and patients can both leverage e-mental health solutions in the treatment of different symptoms.
For individuals, its applications include the evaluation, monitoring, and remedy of clinical diagnoses such as :
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Phobias, and more.
E-mental health tools are also a vastly useful and popular means of managing sub-clinical, yet problematic mental health challenges of the same scope.
Examples include ESM ‘experience tracker’ applications for stress reduction, or iCBT apps for symptoms of depression. Below, you can see what the latter might look like in action.
From a healthcare professional’s perspective, e-counseling and e-health solutions like Quenza (pictured) often offer a convenient, effective way to deliver established therapies and treatments to patients without geographic or timezone-related constraints.
Its Applications
E-Mental health services generally fall into four broad categories to cover a range of applications[3].
These are:
- Psychoeducational services
- Services related to screening, monitoring, and assessment
- Practical interventions
- E-mental health services that provide social support
Each may be offered as a standalone service by a specific organization or practitioner, or they can be used as interrelated elements of comprehensive and individualized online treatment plan.
Psychoeducational Services
These e-mental health services are focused on information provision, with the goal of making quality, research-based information more accessible to those seeking to manage a mental health condition.[4]
Psychoeducational resources play a valuable role in mental health treatment plans as a way to inform clients about the specifics of their condition, and may include information on symptoms, self-management, and further resources for seeking help. They can also be a great way to engage patients in their
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, for example, offers many psychoeducational resources both on its site and as part of outreach programs, as blog articles, videos, infographics, and even interactive games targeted at younger audiences.[5]
Screening, Monitoring, and Assessment Services
The internet is a convenient, cost-effective way for practitioners and healthcare organizations to make online tests and diagnostic tools available to patients across the world.[6]
The internet is a convenient, cost-effective way for practitioners and healthcare organizations to make online tests and diagnostic tools available to patients across the world.
These can include self-report surveys on symptoms, warning signs, risk indicators, and more. Using assessment software, e-clinics, hospitals, and similar organizations are often able to quickly upload prepared discipline-specific scales, measures, and tests online for clients to complete at their leisure.
As well as saving in-clinic time, data from these online tests can often also be used to auto-populate a patient’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
E-Mental Health Interventions
Digital mental health interventions can include applications such as assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or iCBT, and relate to the specific treatment or techniques involved in a patient’s recovery.[7][8]
Typically, online interventions are:
- Self-led
- Therapist-guided, or
- A combination of both.
Online chat therapy, mental health apps, and video therapy – shown below – all fall under this umbrella:
Where face-to-face appointments are inconvenient or inconvenient, e-mental health solutions can provide the personal interaction and engagement that patients need to progress.
Social Support
e-Mental Health can also take the form of online peer support groups, forums, and discussion boards.[9]
These can be critical tools in a patient’s wellness or management journey by creating a space for individuals and other stakeholders to seek help and find support.[10]
This can be especially important to clients who are concerned about perceived stigma related to their condition.
Why Offer E-Mental Health Solutions?
From early intervention and first-line treatments to health maintenance, awareness promotion, and relapse prevention, therefore, e-mental health solutions cover a wide gambit of needs.
Leveraging digital technologies to deliver important mental healthcare services is an innovative, effective way to provide alternative to conventional treatments.
In this section, we look at why practitioners might choose a digital approach over standard face-to-face treatments.
Advantages of Digital Mental Health
One clear advantage of e-mental health for individual patients is its accessibility – going online to receive treatment is much easier than commuting to a therapist’s office, for example.
The table below includes a few more advantages of e-mental health.
Advantage | Details |
|---|---|
Flexible, no transport requirements[2] |
|
Low relative cost for patients[11] |
|
Cost-effective for practitioners |
|
Sustainable long-term[12] |
|
| Reduced burden on physical offices |
|
| Quicker, faster solutions |
|
3 Upcoming Conferences on E-Mental Health
For practitioners interested in learning more about the field, various healthcare organizations host e-mental health conferences that are a great place to discuss the latest developments with other professionals.
Conference | Details |
|---|---|
 | The Mental Health Commission of Canada has hosted annual conferences for over 9 years. The most recent 2020 event, Caring in a Digital World: Introducing Disruptive Change to Mental Health Care took place in Toronto with a focus on youth engagement, capacity building, mobile clinical apps, and designing mental health apps. The date for their 10th Annual Conference in 2021 has not yet been announced. |
| Name | Mental Health Commission of Canada Annual e-Mental Health Conference |
| Price | CAD 249+ plus tax (based on 2020 conference) |
| Next Date | TBD |
| Website | https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/events |
Conference | Details |
|---|---|
 | The University of Newcastle holds a biennial conference for practitioners in conjunction with other healthcare bodies such as the Hunter Medical Research Institute, Everymind, and the Centre for Rural and Remote Health. Organized by the Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health, the theme of this year’s 2020 conference was Delivering person-centred care through new technology. With an emphasis on technologically advanced, patient-centric healthcare, it specifically considered topics such as:
|
| Name | University of Newcastle E-Mental Health International Conference |
| Price | AUD80+ (based on 2020 virtual conference) |
| Next Date | TBD |
| Website | https://www.newcastle.edu.au/research/e-mental-health-international-conference-2020 |
Conference | Details |
|---|---|
 | The World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology is renowned host of academic conferences on general and mental health. Each event includes keynotes, discussion forums, and workshops on recent innovations, trends, and concerns, in addition to practical challenges and solutions in the disciplines of Mental Health Disorders and Healthcare. The 2021 event includes discussions on papers around the Internet of Healthcare Things, Robotic Assistance in Nursing Care, and more. |
| Name | ICMHDH 2021: 15. International Conference on Mental Health Disorders and Healthcare |
| Price | € 250+ for listener registrations |
| Next Date | February 25-26, 2021 in Sydney, Australia |
| Website | https://waset.org/mental-health-disorders-and-healthcare-conference-in-february-2021-in-sydney |
Final Thoughts
Leveraging digital technologies to deliver important mental healthcare services is an innovative, effective way to provide alternative to conventional treatments.
By helping to reduce the burden on mental healthcare organizations, while making critical solutions more accessible for underserved demographics, e-mental health treatments have a vital role to play in the future of healthcare.
From therapy apps to mental healthcare management systems, such as EHRs and treatment planning software, the field continues to grow in a way that’s truly promising. What are your experiences with e-mental health as a patient or practitioner?
To deliver professional, personalized online therapy yourself, don’t forget to sign up for all of Quenza’s e-mental health tools with your $1 plan.
Quenza’s telemental health features are specially designed for therapists, counselors, or coaches, and include everything you need to better support your patients on their wellness journeys, bringing them positive health outcomes that last a lifetime.
References
- ^ Lal, S. (2019). E-mental health: promising advancements in policy, research, and practice. Healthcare Management Fórum, 32(2), 56.
- ^ RACGP. (2015). e-Mental Health: A Guide for Practitioners. Retrieved from https://www.racgp.org.au/download/Documents/Guidelines/e-Mental%20health/e-mentalhealthguide.pdf
- ^ Lal, S., & Adair, C. E. (2014). E-mental health: a rapid review of the literature. Psychiatric Services, 65(1), 24.
- ^ Santor, D. A., Poulin, C., LeBLANC, J. C., & Kusumakar, V. (2007). Online health promotion, early identification of difficulties, and help seeking in young people. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46(1), 50.
- ^ NAMI. (2020). Mental Health Education. Retrieved from: https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education
- ^ Becker, J., Fliege, H., Kocalevent, R. D., Bjorner, J. B., Rose, M., Walter, O. B., & Klapp, B. F. (2008). Functioning and validity of A Computerized Adaptive Test to measure anxiety (A‐CAT). Depression and Anxiety, 25(12), E182.
- ^ Khanna, M. S., & Kendall, P. C. (2010). Computer-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy for child anxiety: results of a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(5), 737.
- ^ Spek, V., Nyklíček, I., Cuijpers, P., & Pop, V. (2008). Predictors of outcome of group and internet-based cognitive behavior therapy. Journal of Affective Disorders, 105(1-3), 137.
- ^ Scharer, K. (2005). An internet discussion board for parents of mentally ill young children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 18(1), 17.
- ^ Webb, M., Burns, J., & Collin, P. (2008). Providing online support for young people with mental health difficulties: challenges and opportunities explored. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2(2), 108.
- ^ McGinty, K. L., Saeed, S. A., Simmons, S. C., & Yildirim, Y. (2006). Telepsychiatry and e-mental health services: potential for improving access to mental health care. Psychiatric Quarterly, 77(4), 335.
- ^ Price, M., Yuen, E. K., Goetter, E. M., Herbert, J. D., Forman, E. M., Acierno, R., & Ruggiero, K. J. (2014). mHealth: a mechanism to deliver more accessible, more effective mental health care. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 21(5), 427.
