Views and attitudes towards using the internet and mobile phones to receive support in severe mental health problems.
Poster B91, Friday, October 21, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Natalie Berry1, Fiona Lobban2, Richard Emsley1, Sandra Bucci1; 1University of Manchester, 2Lancaster University
Purpose: Researchers are increasingly developing digital interventions for people who experience severe mental health problems (SMI). However, little is known about how service users already use digital technologies for their mental health and their attitudes towards these novel methods of intervention delivery. We sought to examine attitudes towards digital interventions and service user experiences of using technology for mental health. Materials and methods: We report data from three approaches exploring this question: i) a systematic review examined the acceptability of online and mobile phone-delivered interventions for SMI; ii) the hashtag #WhyWeTweetMH was circulated on Twitter for users (n = 132 tweets) to detail their reasons for discussing mental health on the social media platform; iii) qualitative interviews with early psychosis service users explored reasons for and attitudes towards receiving a mobile phone-delivered intervention. Results: The systematic review identified that the acceptability of digital interventions for SMI was generally high; however, the small number of studies investigating participant views means further research is warranted. Responses to #WhyWeTweetMH revealed that discussing mental health on Twitter was an empowering coping strategy, allowing users to express themselves in a supportive community. Qualitative interviews showed that digital interventions were acceptable, de-stigmatising and offered greater choice. Conclusion: Findings suggest that digital resources are popular mechanisms for self-directed support and could be an acceptable avenue for intervention delivery. The findings in light of current policy, implications for clinical practice and avenues for future research are discussed.
Topic Area: Psychosocial Interventions