Improving Access and Mental Health For Youth Using Smart Technologies

Authors

Cheryl Forchuk, Lawson Health Research Institute
Sandra Fisman, St. Joseph's Health Care LondonFollow
Jeffrey P. Reiss, Lawson Health Research Institute
Kerry Collins, London Health Sciences CentreFollow
Julie Eichstedt, London Health Sciences Centre
Abraham Rudnick, Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine
Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai, Saint Michael's Hospital University of Toronto
Jeffrey S. Hoch, University of California, Davis
Xianbin Wang, Western University
Daniel Lizotte, Western University
Shona Macpherson, London Health Sciences Centre
Richard Booth, Lawson Health Research Institute

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2021

Journal

IET Smart Cities

Volume

3

Issue

1

First Page

41

Last Page

51

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1049/smc2.12006

Abstract

The overall objective of this research is to evaluate the use of a mobile health smartphone application (app) to improve the mental health of youth between the ages of 14 and 25 years, with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. This project includes 122 youth who are accessing outpatient mental health services at one of three hospitals and two community agencies. The youth and care providers are using the Smart technology to enhance care. The technology uses mobile questionnaires (QnairesTM) to help promote self-assessment and track changes to support the plan of care. The youth were provided a smartphone and talk/text/data plan, if needed. The majority of participants identified themselves as Caucasian (73.5%). Expectedly, the demographics revealed that Anxiety Disorders and Mood Disorders were highly prevalent within the sample (73.6% and 66.9% respectively). Findings from the qualitative summary established that both staff and youth found having a smartphone and data plan beneficial. Demographic variables such as age, sex, mental health and physical health did not predict which youth were more likely to use the application.