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1.2 Benefits Noted in Research

There are several benefits of digital initiatives in the mental health context that are broadly discussed in academic and ‘grey’ literature:

  • Teletherapy, including web-based and other informational communication technology-based forms of support can break down geographical barriers and provide effective support to people in distress across large distances, or for those who require or prefer remote support.45 Hannah Zeavin highlights the way ‘care may take unexpected forms through technologies, enabling distanced intimacy and social change that transcends the psychology of the individual’.46
  • In some cases, online mental health initiatives can facilitate confidential and anonymous help-seeking that is a clear social good. This might be extremely important for certain groups, particularly those from small or marginalised communities, for example, people in remote or rural communities, LGBTIQ+ young people, and Indigenous people who are wary of sharing personal information with state-based services,47 as well as those who may benefit from accessible, digitally facilitated support, including women facing intimate-partner and family violence, or those in sociodemographic groups who may be reluctant to seek traditional forms of care and support
  • There are free web-based programs, some of which may help people to deal with their distress, or identify, name, and better understand their experiences, which can provide a quick, inexpensive and accessible resource for those with access to the internet.48
  • Various kinds of digital technology can help improve the availability of quality information to help develop awareness of relevant forms of support. This may include formal services, but also services and organisations outside mental health systems that may be helpful, such as sexual assault services, financial counseling, environmental disaster relief, and informal peer-run support groups for people experiencing distress or addiction. There are examples of community-driven resources, such as online family violence resources and crisis support, created by members of specific cultural communities that are designed to respect their concerns around privacy and cultural respect, while meeting their unique needs.49
  • There is also a positive role for data-driven digital technologies in the monitoring of services, and collection of vital statistics, including by civil society monitoring bodies, regulators, health system co-ordinators, managers and advocates. (For examples, page 87)

These are just some of the benefits advanced in the scholarly literature. Some clinically oriented research institutes espouse the benefits of digital forms of mental health care in addressing ‘serious access gaps [to mental health-related] education, prevention and treatment services’.50 We will elaborate on some of these apparent benefits throughout the report, while also attending the risks, challenges, issues, and so on, that may run counter to this optimistic picture of digitally-enabled support.

0351-Digital-Futures-in-Mind-Report8

Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash.