Engaging Children and Young People in Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review of Modes of Delivery, Facilitators, and Barriers.

BackgroundDepression and anxiety disorders are common, and treatment often includes psychological interventions. Digital health interventions, delivered through technologies such as web-based programs and mobile apps, are increasingly used in mental health treatment. Acceptability, the extent to which an intervention is viewed positively, has been identified as contributing to patient adherence and engagement with digital health interventions. Acceptability, therefore, impacts the benefit derived from using digital health interventions in treatment. Understanding the acceptability of digital mental health interventions among patients with depression or anxiety disorders is essential to maximize the effectiveness of their treatment.ObjectiveThis review investigated the acceptability of technology-based interventions among patients with depression or anxiety disorders.MethodsA systematic review was performed based on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Ovid in May 2022. Studies were included if they evaluated digital interventions for the treatment of depression or anxiety disorders and investigated their acceptability among adult patients. Studies were excluded if they targeted only specific populations (eg, those with specific physical health conditions), investigated acceptability in healthy individuals or patients under the age of 18 years, involved no direct interaction between patients and technologies, used technology only as a platform for traditional care (eg, videoconferencing), had patients using technologies only in clinical or laboratory settings, or involved virtual reality technologies. Acceptability outcome data were narratively synthesized by the direction of acceptability using vote counting. Included studies were evaluated using levels of evidence from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The risk of bias was assessed using a tool designed for this review and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation).ResultsA total of 143 articles met the inclusion criteria, comprising 67 (47%) articles on interventions for depression, 65 (45%) articles on interventions for anxiety disorders, and 11 (8%) articles on interventions for both. Overall, 90 (63%) were randomized controlled trials, 50 (35%) were other quantitative studies, and 3 (2%) were qualitative studies. Interventions used web-based programs, mobile apps, and computer programs. Cognitive behavioral therapy was the basis of 71% (102/143) of the interventions. Digital mental health interventions were generally acceptable among patients with depression or anxiety disorders, with 88% (126/143) indicating positive acceptability, 8% (11/143) mixed results, and 4% (6/143) insufficient information to categorize the direction of acceptability. The available research evidence was of moderate quality.ConclusionsDigital mental health interventions seem to be acceptable to patients with depression or anxiety disorders. Consistent use of validated measures for acceptability would enhance the quality of evidence. Careful design of acceptability as an evaluation outcome can further improve the quality of evidence and reduce the risk of bias.Trial RegistrationOpen Science Framework Y7MJ4; https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/SPR8M

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are increasingly recommended for children and young people (CYP) as a promising way to prevent and treat mental health problems. Here, we summarised and consolidated findings from existing systematic reviews to provide an overview of what is known, and which areas need further investigation. Systematic searches were conducted until January 2024 using PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus and Google Scholar. Records were screened against predefined criteria and quality assessed using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Reviews. A study protocol was co-developed with key stakeholders and registered on the Open Science Framework. From 941 records, 51 systematic reviews published between 2000 and 2023 of generally moderate quality, targeting CYP 0 to 25 years, were included in our narrative summary. DMHIs were delivered in a variety of ways, including online video calls, apps and various combinations, underpinned mostly by cognitive behaviour therapy. DMHIs supported different mental health problems, but mostly symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. Although generally effective, some studies reported mixed results with limited evidence when focusing on longer-term outcomes. Other benefits of DMHIs included reduced costs and time investments for families, and increased accessibility and acceptability of support. Practitioner preparedness and unclear ethics/safety measures were identified as factors impacting engagement and potential effectiveness. The findings suggest that DMHIs can be a valuable tool for supporting CYP. However, realising the full potential of DMHIs for all CYP may require more high-quality research utilising DMHIs that are diverse in theoretical underpinnings and target audiences. Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00787-025-02722-9.

BackgroundAn estimated 1 in 5 adolescents experience a mental health disorder each year; yet because of barriers to accessing and seeking care, most remain undiagnosed and untreated. Furthermore, the early emergence of psychopathology contributes to a lifelong course of challenges across a broad set of functional domains, so addressing this early in the life course is essential. With increasing digital connectivity, including in low- and middle-income countries, digital health technologies are considered promising for addressing mental health among adolescents and young people. In recent years, a growing number of digital health interventions, including more than 2 million web-based mental health apps, have been developed to address a range of mental health issues.ObjectiveThis review aims to synthesize the current evidence on digital health interventions targeting adolescents and young people with mental health conditions, aged between 10-24 years, with a focus on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and generalizability to low-resource settings (eg, low- and middle-income countries).MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane databases between January 2010 and June 2020 for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on digital mental health interventions targeting adolescents and young people aged between 10-24 years. Two authors independently screened the studies, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the reviews.ResultsIn this systematic overview, we included 18 systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We found evidence on the effectiveness of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy on anxiety and depression, whereas the effectiveness of other digital mental health interventions remains inconclusive. Interventions with an in-person element with a professional, peer, or parent were associated with greater effectiveness, adherence, and lower dropout than fully automatized or self-administered interventions. Despite the proposed utility of digital interventions for increasing accessibility of treatment across settings, no study has reported sample-specific metrics of social context (eg, socioeconomic background) or focused on low-resource settings.ConclusionsAlthough digital interventions for mental health can be effective for both supplementing and supplanting traditional mental health treatment, only a small proportion of existing digital platforms are evidence based. Furthermore, their cost-effectiveness and effectiveness, including in low- and middle-income countries, have been understudied. Widespread adoption and scale-up of digital mental health interventions, especially in settings with limited resources for health, will require more rigorous and consistent demonstrations of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness vis-à-vis the type of service provided, target population, and the current standard of care.

BackgroundDigital mental health interventions stand to play a critical role in managing the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, enhancing their uptake is a key priority. General practitioners (GPs) are well positioned to facilitate access to digital interventions, but tools that assist GPs in identifying suitable patients are lacking.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the suitability of a web-based mental health screening and treatment recommendation tool (StepCare) for improving the identification of anxiety and depression in general practice and, subsequently, uptake of digital mental health interventions.MethodsStepCare screens patients for symptoms of depression (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire) and anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale) in the GP waiting room. It provides GPs with stepped treatment recommendations that include digital mental health interventions for patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Patients (N=5138) from 85 general practices across Australia were invited to participate in screening.ResultsScreening identified depressive or anxious symptoms in 43.09% (1428/3314) of patients (one-quarter were previously unidentified or untreated). The majority (300/335, 89.6%) of previously unidentified or untreated patients had mild to moderate symptoms and were candidates for digital mental health interventions. Although less than half were prescribed a digital intervention by their GP, when a digital intervention was prescribed, more than two-thirds of patients reported using it.ConclusionsImplementing web-based mental health screening in general practices can provide important opportunities for GPs to improve the identification of symptoms of mental illness and increase patient access to digital mental health interventions. Although GPs prescribed digital interventions less frequently than in-person psychotherapy or medication, the promising rates of uptake by GP-referred patients suggest that GPs can play a critical role in championing digital interventions and maximizing the associated benefits.

BackgroundPoor mental health among university students remains a pressing public health issue. Over the past few years, digital health interventions have been developed and considered promising in increasing psychological wellbeing among university students. Therefore, this umbrella review aims to synthesize evidence on digital health interventions targeting university students and to evaluate their effectiveness.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed in April 2021 searching PubMed, Psychology and Behavioural Science Collection, Web of Science, ERIC, and Scopus for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on digital mental health interventions targeting university students. The review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews PROSPERO [CRD42021234773].ResultsThe initital literature search resulted in 806 records of which seven remained after duplicates were removed and evaluated against the inclusion criteria. Effectiveness was reported and categorized into the following six delivery types: (a) web-based, online/computer-delivered interventions (b) computer-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), (c) mobile applications and short message service (d) virtual reality interventions (e) skills training (f) relaxation and exposure-based therapy. Results indicated web-based online/computer delivered-interventions were effective or at least partially effective at decressing depression, anxiety, stress and eating disorder symptoms. This was similar for skills-training interventions, CBT-based intervention and mobile applications. However, digital mental health interventions using virtual reality and relaxation, exposure-based therapy was inconclusive. Due to the variation in study settings and inconsistencies in reporting, effectiveness was greatly dependent on the delivery format, targeted mental health problem and targeted purpose group.ConclusionThe findings provide evidence for the beneficial effect of digital mental health interventions for university students. However, this review calls for a more systematic approach in testing and reporting the effectiveness of digital mental health interventions.

BackgroundDepression and anxiety frequently coexist with chronic musculoskeletal pain and can negatively impact patients’ responses to standard orthopedic treatments. Nevertheless, mental health is not routinely addressed in the orthopedic care setting. If effective, a digital mental health intervention may be a feasible and scalable method of addressing mental health in an orthopedic setting.ObjectiveWe aimed to compare 2-month changes in mental and physical health between orthopedic patients who received a digital mental health intervention in addition to usual orthopedic care, those who received usual orthopedic care only (without a specific mental health intervention), and those who received in-person care with a psychologist as part of their orthopedic treatment plan.MethodsIn this single-center retrospective cohort study involving ancillary analysis of a pilot feasibility study, 2-month self-reported health changes were compared between a cohort of orthopedic patients who received access to a digital mental health intervention (Wysa) and 2 convenience sample comparison cohorts (patients who received usual orthopedic care without a specific mental health intervention and patients who received in-person care with a psychologist as part of their orthopedic treatment plan). All patients were 18 years or older and reported elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety at an orthopedic clinic visit (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS] Depression or Anxiety score ≥55). The digital intervention was a multi-component mobile app that used chatbot technology and text-based access to human counselors to provide cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness training, and sleep tools, among other features, with an emphasis on behavioral activation and pain acceptance. Outcomes of interest were between-cohort differences in the 2-month longitudinal changes in PROMIS Depression and Anxiety scores (primary outcomes) and PROMIS Pain Interference and Physical Function scores (secondary outcomes).ResultsAmong 153 patients (mean age 55, SD 15 years; 128 [83.7%] female; 51 patients per cohort), patients who received the digital mental health intervention showed clinically meaningful improvements at the 2-month follow-up for all PROMIS measures (mean longitudinal improvement 2.8-3.7 points; P≤.02). After controlling for age and BMI, the improvements in PROMIS Depression, Pain Interference, and Physical Function were meaningfully greater than longitudinal changes shown by patients who received usual orthopedic care (mean between-group difference 2.6-4.8 points; P≤.04). Improvements in PROMIS Physical Function were also meaningfully greater than longitudinal changes shown by patients who received in-person psychological counseling (mean between-group difference 2.4 points; P=.04).ConclusionsPatients who received a digital mental health intervention as part of orthopedic care reported greater 2-month mean improvements in depression, pain interference, and physical function than patients who received usual orthopedic care. They also reported a greater mean improvement in physical function and comparable improvements in depression, anxiety, and pain interference compared with orthopedic patients who received in-person psychological counseling.

Digital health interventions (DHIs), including computer-assisted therapy, smartphone apps and wearable technologies, are heralded as having enormous potential to improve uptake and accessibility, efficiency, clinical effectiveness and personalisation of mental health interventions. It is generally assumed that DHIs will be preferred by children and young people (CYP) given their ubiquitous digital activity. However, it remains uncertain whether: DHIs for CYP are clinically and cost-effective, CYP prefer DHIs to traditional services, DHIs widen access and how they should be evaluated and adopted by mental health services. This review evaluates the evidence-base for DHIs and considers the key research questions and approaches to evaluation and implementation. We conducted a meta-review of scoping, narrative, systematic or meta-analytical reviews investigating the effectiveness of DHIs for mental health problems in CYP. We also updated a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of DHIs for CYP published in the last 3years. Twenty-one reviews were included in the meta-review. The findings provide some support for the clinical benefit of DHIs, particularly computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT), for depression and anxiety in adolescents and young adults. The systematic review identified 30 new RCTs evaluating DHIs for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders and PTSD. The benefits of DHIs in managing ADHD, autism, psychosis and eating disorders are uncertain, and evidence is lacking regarding the cost-effectiveness of DHIs. Key methodological limitations make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions from existing clinical trials of DHIs. Issues include variable uptake and engagement with DHIs, lack of an agreed typology/taxonomy for DHIs, small sample sizes, lack ofblinded outcome assessment, combining different comparators, short-term follow-up and poor specification ofthelevel of human support. Research and practice recommendations are presented that address the key researchquestions and methodological issues for the evaluation and clinical implementation of DHIs for CYP.

BackgroundDigital mental health interventions are increasingly prevalent in the current context of rapidly evolving technology, and research indicates that they yield effectiveness outcomes comparable to in-person treatment. Integrating professionals (ie, psychologists and physicians) into digital mental health interventions has become common, and the inclusion of guidance within programs can increase adherence to interventions. However, employing professionals to enhance mental health programs may undermine the scalability of digital interventions. Therefore, delegating guidance tasks to paraprofessionals (peer supporters, technicians, lay counsellors, or other nonclinicians) can help reduce costs and increase accessibility.ObjectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness, adherence, and other process outcomes of nonclinician-guided digital mental health interventions.MethodsFour databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) were searched for randomized controlled trials published between 2010 and 2020 examining digital mental health interventions. Three journals that focus on digital intervention were hand searched; gray literature was searched using ProQuest and the Cochrane Central Register of Control Trials (CENTRAL). Two researchers independently assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool version 2. Data were collected on effectiveness, adherence, and other process outcomes, and meta-analyses were conducted for effectiveness and adherence outcomes. Nonclinician-guided interventions were compared with treatment as usual, clinician-guided interventions, and unguided interventions.ResultsThirteen studies qualified for inclusion. Nonclinician-guided interventions yielded higher posttreatment effectiveness outcomes when compared to conditions involving control programs (eg, online psychoeducation and monitored attention control) or wait-list controls (k=7, Hedges g=–0.73; 95% CI –1.08 to –0.38). There were also significant differences between nonclinician-guided interventions and unguided interventions (k=6, Hedges g=–0.17; 95% CI –0.23 to –0.11). In addition, nonclinician-guided interventions did not differ in effectiveness from clinician-guided interventions (k=3, Hedges g=0.08; 95% CI –0.01 to 0.17). These results suggest that guided digital mental health interventions are helpful to improve mental health outcomes regardless of the qualifications of the individual performing the intervention, and that the presence of a nonclinician guide improves effectiveness outcomes compared to having no guide. Nonclinician-guided interventions did not yield significantly different adherence outcomes when compared with unguided interventions (k=3, odds ratio 1.58; 95% CI 0.51 to 4.92), although a general trend of improved adherence was observed within nonclinician-guided interventions.ConclusionsIntegrating paraprofessionals and nonclinicians appears to improve the outcomes of digital mental health interventions, and may also enhance adherence outcomes (though this trend was nonsignificant). Further research should focus on the specific types of tasks these paraprofessionals can successfully provide (ie, psychosocial support, therapeutic alliance, and technical augmentation) and their associated outcomes.Trial RegistrationPROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020191226; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=191226

BACKGROUND Racialized immigrant youth face a multitude of challenges that heighten their vulnerability to mental illness. Digital mental health has increasingly been recognized as an effective method to improve accessibility to mental health services for communities with limited access to inclusive care, particularly among youth. However, despite the growing emphasis on cultural inclusivity in interventions targeting racialized and marginalized populations, there remains a gap in empirical evidence regarding how culturally inclusive elements are integrated into digital mental health practices and their impact on the effectiveness of these interventions. OBJECTIVE Focusing on Asian immigrant youth in Canada, this protocol outlines our community-engaged project, which aims to assess whether current digital mental health interventions provide effective and culturally accessible support, and how we can collaboratively develop a framework for creating innovative, inclusive, and effective digital interventions to promote youth mental health. METHODS A two-phase community-engaged approach will be used to involve Asian immigrant youth facing mental health challenges, youth leaders, service providers, and stakeholders from East, Southeast, and South Asian communities. Phase one includes scoping reviews on the technology, access, and cultural inclusivity of digital mental health interventions for Asian and racialized newcomer youth in Canada. In phase two, 15 diverse Asian youth leaders and 15 service providers will participate in a 3.5-hour online session to discuss the need for effective digital mental health interventions, share results from the reviews, co-identify key elements of an inclusive and innovative intervention, and outline next steps for forming a community-campus research partnership focused on mental health promotion for Asian immigrant youth. RESULTS This project is expected to yield a co-developed framework outlining key elements of culturally inclusive and effective digital mental health interventions for Asian immigrant youth in Canada. Anticipated outcomes include enhanced understanding of cultural accessibility gaps in existing digital interventions and strengthened community-campus partnerships to support youth mental health. CONCLUSIONS This research aims to improve access to culturally safe and effective digital mental health interventions for Asian immigrant youth. Benefits include enhanced mental health support for this population, increased awareness of mental health issues among stakeholders, and the development of a framework for culturally inclusive mental health services

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience higher rates of psychological disorders compared with their healthy peers. As poor psychological health has been associated with suboptimal glycaemic control and more frequent complications, there is an urgent need to develop more 'clinically usable' interventions. Digital mental health interventions offer unique advantages compared with in-person interventions; however, what adolescents with T1D want in terms of content and functionality is poorly understood. Accordingly, the current study conducted focus groups to examine the views of adolescents with T1D regarding digital mental health interventions. Four focus groups were conducted, including 16 adolescents with T1D, ranging from 13 to 17years in age (69% female). Transcripts were analysed using directed content analysis to examine (1) 'what adolescents dislike about existing digital mental health interventions?' and (2) 'what adolescents want in future digital mental health interventions?'. Findings provide a preliminary understanding of what adolescents dislike and also the type of content and functional features, which may be important to include in digital mental health programs for this population, such as a peer support feature (reported by 16 of 16), emotion and diabetes check-in feature (11 of 16) and diabetes-relevant content (12 of 16). Early data suggest that digital mental health interventions should include a significant peer support element, diabetes-relevant content and examples, and check-in on their mental health and diabetes self-management regularly, while avoiding fixed responses or modules and non-age-appropriate content. Based on these findings, a digital intervention is currently being developed.

Although many digital mental health interventions are available, clinicians do not routinely use them in clinical practice. In this pilot survey, we review the factors that supported the rapid transition to televisits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we explore the barriers that continue to prevent clinicians from using other digital mental health interventions, such as mindfulness applications, mood trackers, and digital therapy programs. We conducted a pilot survey of mental health clinicians in different practice environments in the USA. Survey respondents (n = 51) were primarily psychiatrists working in academic medical centers. Results indicated that systemic factors, including workplace facilitation and insurance reimbursement, were primary reasons motivating clinicians to use televisits to provide remote patient care. The shift to televisits during the pandemic was not accompanied by increased use of other digital mental health interventions in patient care. Nine clinicians reported that they have never used digital interventions with patients. Among the 42 clinicians who did report some experience using digital interventions, the majority reported no change in the use of digital applications since transitioning to televisits. Our preliminary findings lend insight into the perspective of mental health clinicians regarding the factors that supported their transition to televisits, including institutional support and insurance reimbursement, and indicate that this shift to virtual patient care has not been accompanied by increased use of other digital mental health interventions. We contend that the same systemic factors that supported the shift toward virtual visits in the COVID-19 pandemic may be applied to support the incorporation of other digital interventions in mental healthcare.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41347-022-00260-8.

Globally in 2021, about 1 in 4 children and young people (CYP) below age 25 lived with poor mental health. Various forms of digital health interventions (DHIs) have been introduced in attempts to address unmet mental healthcare needs among young people. DHIs use websites or applications in computers, tablets, or smartphones to deliver mental health interventions, which are either self-directed, or therapist guided. This rapid review synthesises the evidence on the cost-effectiveness of DHIs for supporting mental health in CYP. A literature search was carried out in MEDLINE and PsycINFO using Ovid platform. The search was restricted to peer-reviewed studies published in English between Jan 2018 to May 2025. Eligible studies were identified using the population, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design (PICOS) framework. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they provided a trial- or model-based full economic evaluation or return on investment of a DHI targeting mental health in CYP up to 25 years of age. Titles and abstracts of 1,265 records were screened. 15 studies met the criteria for inclusion following full-text screening of 28 studies. The focal outcomes in the studies included reduction in symptoms linked to depression, anxiety, and alcohol use. Most studies evaluated computerised cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or interventions that included aspects of CBT as the primary intervention. All studies except two reported the DHIs to be cost-effective, at least under certain conditions. Two model-based and three trial-based studies reported that the interventions were dominant (cost saving and more effective) with respect to at least one outcome measure. There is some evidence to suggest DHIs hold the potential to expand and extend mental health support for CYP with minimal therapist involvement. Yet, the evidence is not conclusive due to short follow-up periods, variability in the methodological approaches and reporting of results. High quality evidence on cost-effectiveness of DHIs with comparable methodological approaches is needed to inform implementation decisions.

BackgroundThe majority of people with a chronic disease (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, COPD) have more than one concurrent condition and are also at higher risk for developing comorbidities in mental health, including anxiety and depression. There is an urgent need for more relevant and accurate data on digital interventions in this area to prepare for an increase demand for mental health services. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the digital mental health interventions for people with comorbid physical and mental chronic diseases to compare the effect of technology systems and level of support.MethodsThis secondary meta-analysis follows a rapid review of systematic reviews, a virtual workshop with knowledge users to identify research questions and a modified Delphi study to guide research methods: What types of digital health interventions (according to a recognized categorization) are the most effective for the management of concomitant mental health and chronic disease conditions in adults? We conducted a secondary analysis of the primary studies identified in the rapid review. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts and applied inclusion criteria: RCT design using a digital mental health intervention in a population of adults with another chronic condition, published after 2010 in French or English, and including an outcome measurement of anxiety or depression.ResultsSeven hundred eight primary studies were extracted from the systematic reviews and 84 primary studies met the inclusion criteria Digital mental health interventions were significantly more effective than in-person care for both anxiety and depression outcomes. Online messaging was the most effective technology to improve anxiety and depression scores; however, all technology types were effective. Interventions partially supported by healthcare professionals were more effective than self-administered.ConclusionsWhile our meta-analysis identifies digital intervention’s characteristics are associated with better effectiveness, all technologies and levels of support could be used considering implementation context and population.Trial registrationThe protocol for this review is registered in the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Service (ID 75).

More than 200 million children and adolescents live in countries affected by violent conflict, are likely to have complex mental health needs, and struggle to access traditional mental health services. Digital mental health interventions have the potential to overcome some of the barriers in accessing mental health support. We performed a scoping review to map existing digital mental health interventions relevant for children and adolescents affected by war, to examine the strength of the evidence base, and to inform the development of future interventions. Based on a pre-registered strategy, we systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, APA PsychInfo, and Google Scholar from the creation of each database to September 30, 2022, identifying k= 6,843 studies. Our systematic search was complemented by extensive consultation with experts from the GROW Network. The systematic search identified 6 relevant studies: 1 study evaluating digital mental health interventions for children and adolescents affected by war, and 5 studies for those affected by disasters. Experts identified 35 interventions of possible relevance. The interventions spanned from universal prevention to specialist-guided treatment. Most interventions directly targeted young people and parents or carers/caregivers and were self-guided. A quarter of the interventions were tested through randomized controlled trials. Because most interventions were not culturally or linguistically adapted to relevant contexts, their implementation potential was unclear. There is very limited evidence for the use of digital mental health interventions for children and adolescents affected by war at present. The review provides a framework to inform the development of new interventions. Digital mental health interventions have the potential to overcome some of the barriers in accessing mental health support for children and adolescents living in war affected regions. In this scoping review, the authors identified 1 study evaluating digital mental health interventions for children and adolescents affected by war and 5 for those affected by disasters. In addition, 35 interventions were identified through expert consultation as of possible relevance. The authors found very limited evidence for the use of digital mental health interventions for children and adolescents affected by war, and given this provide a framework to inform the development of new interventions. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. Digital mental health interventions for children and young people affected by war: a scoping review; https://osf.io/; hrny9.

With the emergence of smartphone applications, chatbots, and AI-powered technologies in recent years, digital mental health interventions have grown in popularity. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy and morality of these technologies in delivering care and support for mental health. A thorough review of the relevant research revealed that digital treatments in mental health have the potential for increasing the availability and cost of mental health care. However, difficulties with data privacy, ethical issues, and the requirement for more study were also noted. This study gives recommendations for future research and practice as well as insightful information about the state of digital mental health interventions now. Keywords: Digital health, AI-powered technologies, mental health treatment, costs, ethical issues, and digital interventions