Key Highlights:

 

 

  • The prevalence of mental disorders continues to increase, especially with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we have evidence-based psychological treatments to address these conditions, most people encounter some barriers to receiving this help (e.g., stigma, geographical or time limitations).
  • Digital mental health interventions provide an opportunity to improve accessibility to these treatments.
  • This article summarizes the main contributions of the different types of digital mental health solutions:
    • Internet-based interventions
    • Smartphone apps
    • Mixed realities – virtual and augmented reality
  • Limitations of the different solution types are analysed (e.g., drop-out rates, lack of engagement, lack of personalization, lack of cultural adaptations) the latest sophisticated and innovative technological advances under the umbrella of precision medicine are showcased (e.g., digital phenotyping, chatbots, or conversational agents).
  • Finally, future challenges related to the need for real world implementation of these interventions, the use of predictive methodology, and hybrid models of care in clinical practice, among others, are discussed.

 

 

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