Adoption of Digital Healthcare Interventions and Innovations in Reducing Mental Health Stigma: A Perspective on (COVID)-19

Abstract

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese people with mental health difficulties faced a major issue of mental health stigma. The pandemic's constant stress and social isolation intensified the stigma attached to people suffering from mental illnesses. To address this issue, a study was done in China to investigate mental health stigma in the context of digital media arts. Methods: The study involves randomly distributing 1300 questionnaires on a 5-point Likert scale. Only 500 questionnaires, however, were found adequate for data analysis using partial least squares (PLS). Results: Digital health innovation and adoption are crucial for enhancing mental health. The study's focus was confined to the adoption of innovation in mental healthcare in China because this sector received less attention in previous research that sought to establish a link between digital health innovation and digital mental healthcare. Conclusion: The study has important theoretical and practical implications for improving people's lives by strengthening their mental health systems with digital technologies and raising awareness of digital healthcare tools. The findings are important for policymakers to make people aware of the importance of caring for their mental health by digital healthcare tools.