Abstract
BackgroundWeb-based assessments of mental health concerns hold great potential for earlier, more cost-effective, and more accurate diagnoses of psychiatric conditions than that achieved with traditional interview-based methods.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the impact of a comprehensive web-based mental health assessment on the mental health and well-being of over 2000 individuals presenting with symptoms of depression.MethodsIndividuals presenting with depressive symptoms completed a web-based assessment that screened for mood and other psychiatric conditions. After completing the assessment, the study participants received a report containing their assessment results along with personalized psychoeducation. After 6 and 12 months, participants were asked to rate the usefulness of the web-based assessment on different mental health–related outcomes and to self-report on their recent help-seeking behavior, diagnoses, medication, and lifestyle changes. In addition, general mental well-being was assessed at baseline and both follow-ups using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS).ResultsData from all participants who completed either the 6-month or the 12-month follow-up (N=2064) were analyzed. The majority of study participants rated the study as useful for their subjective mental well-being. This included talking more openly (1314/1939, 67.77%) and understanding one’s mental health problems better (1083/1939, 55.85%). Although most participants (1477/1939, 76.17%) found their assessment results useful, only a small proportion (302/2064, 14.63%) subsequently discussed them with a mental health professional, leading to only a small number of study participants receiving a new diagnosis (110/2064, 5.33%). Among those who were reviewed, new mood disorder diagnoses were predicted by the digital algorithm with high sensitivity (above 70%), and nearly half of the participants with new diagnoses also had a corresponding change in medication. Furthermore, participants’ subjective well-being significantly improved over 12 months (baseline WEMWBS score: mean 35.24, SD 8.11; 12-month WEMWBS score: mean 41.19, SD 10.59). Significant positive predictors of follow-up subjective well-being included talking more openly, exercising more, and having been reviewed by a psychiatrist.ConclusionsOur results suggest that completing a web-based mental health assessment and receiving personalized psychoeducation are associated with subjective mental health improvements, facilitated by increased self-awareness and subsequent use of self-help interventions. Integrating web-based mental health assessments within primary and/or secondary care services could benefit patients further and expedite earlier diagnosis and effective treatment.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/18453
Highlights
BackgroundMood disorders are psychiatric conditions in which disturbances in a person’s mood are associated with a diverse range of functional impairments [1,2], psychiatric and physical comorbidities [3,4,5], and increased mortality [6,7]
Our results suggest that completing a web-based mental health assessment and receiving personalized psychoeducation are associated with subjective mental health improvements, facilitated by increased self-awareness and subsequent use of self-help interventions
This study aimed to address the following primary question: Does completing a web-based assessment have the ability to improve participants’ perceived mental health and well-being? To answer this question, we used data from over 2000 participants in the Delta Study, a single-arm study that aimed to improve the diagnosis of mood disorders through comprehensive screening for mood and comorbid disorders combined with the development of diagnostic algorithms [26]
Summary
BackgroundMood disorders are psychiatric conditions in which disturbances in a person’s mood are associated with a diverse range of functional impairments [1,2], psychiatric and physical comorbidities [3,4,5], and increased mortality [6,7]. The most devastating mood disorders are major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), which affect around 6% and 1% of the world’s population, respectively [1,2], and consistently rank among the leading causes of disability worldwide. The high socioeconomic burden of mood disorders is, in part, a consequence of the difficulty in early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, resulting in chronic and sometimes lifelong illness. A major cause of delayed diagnosis is that many psychiatric patients are affected in silence and never seek help [11]. BD is frequently (in 40% of cases) misdiagnosed as MDD because of patients seeking help mainly when experiencing a depressive episode [12], with an average 8- to 10-year delay before obtaining a correct diagnosis [13]. Web-based assessments of mental health concerns hold great potential for earlier, more cost-effective, and more accurate diagnoses of psychiatric conditions than that achieved with traditional interview-based methods
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