Toward a New Conceptual Framework for Digital Mental Health Technologies: Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Digital mental health
• Health informatics
• Mental healthcare innovation

Background:

• Digital mental health technologies (DMHTs) offer potential for improving mental healthcare quality.
• Current discussions on DMHTs lack focus on specific technology types.
• Existing frameworks for DMHTs have limitations and were not developed comprehensively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify literature on DMHT categorization.
• To explore challenges in categorizing DMHTs for specific applications.
• To develop a novel conceptual framework for DMHT classification.

Main Methods:

• An iterative approach was employed, starting with a rapid literature review.
• An expert working group discussed findings and identified categorization domains.
• A new conceptual framework was synthesized from review results and group discussions.

Main Results:

• A rapid review identified 10 domains for DMHT categorization from 24 eligible papers.
• An expert working group refined these domains.
• A new 8-domain conceptual framework was developed, covering population, setting, platform, purpose, approach type, human interaction, responsiveness, and functionality.

Conclusions:

• The new framework offers a structured method for defining DMHT characteristics.
• Developed using comprehensive methods, it surpasses previous frameworks.
• It facilitates communication and can be iterated for specific applications.