Project - A roadmap for mobile mental health in Denmark

Project start January 2014. Expected completion December 2014.

Mobile mental health – mental health supported by mobile devices – is an emerging agenda for technology developers, mental health care providers, non-governmental organizations and end-users alike. Mobile technologies (apps, games, online intervention and support) have the potential for delivering better mental health information, improved and cost effective mental health services and greater opportunities for prevention of mental health disorders.

Advantages of mobile mental health include ease of access 24/7, real-time mood and activity monitoring and tracking of treatment progress, provision of personalized feedback and motivational support, portability and flexibility of use, and potential to improve adherence to prevention/treatment.

Challenges include issues of data security, patient privacy and trust expectations of users, identification and timely management of crisis and risk of harm, and gaps between established practices in mental healthcare and new approaches integrating mobile technology.

The initiative: A national collaborative on mobile mental health
In partnership with the Danish Mental Health Foundation, the Danish Technological Institute is building a national collaborative on mobile technologies supporting mental health. The national collaborative aims to explore the potential of mobile technologies in promoting better mental health and wellbeing for people at risk of developing mental illness.

Project Objectives
Our main objectives are:

• To identify opportunities for practical application of mobile technologies in mental health promotion, treatment and rehabilitation
• To engage and involve sector stakeholders as part of technological solutions (industry, public health care providers, educational institutions, workforce organizations, academia and end-user organizations)
• To forge strategic partnerships with stakeholders for the design and development of better technologies supporting mental health

The national collaborative on mobile mental health aligns with recent recommendations of the Danish Council on Psychiatry, which stresses the intention to use new technologies in the improvement of mental health nationwide.

Participants

• Danish Mental Health Foundation
• Danish Technological Institute

Activities
A catalogue of insights and case studies on the use of mobile mental health in Denmark. The catalogue includes a review of findings from major published reports on the topic, a review of specific platforms and applications for mental health support and investigation of examples of products and services in use.

An interactive technology roadmap illustrating the range of mental health-related technology products and services emerging in Denmark and internationally as well as drivers and barriers identified by the involved participants, plus insights to guide general, development of digital tools to support mental Health.