It is time to place e-mental health (eMH) at the heart of national and European health strategies and policies to facilitate a structured approach for eMH implementation. This holds true in particular in times of global crisis like the present Covid-19 pandemic with physical distancing, societal lock-down, economic break-down, and psychosocial derangement.
Mental health systems need a balanced combination of guidance, regulation, legislation and education, plus awareness campaigns to ensure that the use of safe, effective and high-quality eMH products and services is promoted to benefit the (mental) health of all European citizens. More attention should be given to sensitising the public, developing needs-tailored approaches for specific target groups, improving training for the mental health workforce, and developing guidelines and transparent information about eMH products and services. More research is needed to identify how European citizens may effectively benefit from eMH in all its varieties, including efficacy, cost-effectiveness and implementation strategies. To achieve these goals, the engagement of all stakeholders (health professionals, developers, users, and policy makers) is required.
The Transnational Policy for e-Mental Health – A guidance document for European policymakers and stakeholders was developed as part of the eMEN project. eMEN (e-mental health innovation and transnational implementation platform North-West Europe; www.nweurope.eu/emen), funded by the European Regional Development Fund, is a six-country project aiming to increase the implementation of high-quality eMH.
The introductory presentation by Norman Sartorius (Geneva, Switzerland) gives a critical overview on the pros and cons of digital approaches for mental health . Oyono Vlijter (Diemen, The Netherlands) describes the developmental status, promotion and implementation of e-Mental Health across Europe. Availability of quality standards in different fields of application including the global Covid-19 crisis are reported by Philipp Klein (Lübeck, Germany). Wolfgang Gaebel (Düsseldorf, Germany) is presenting the Transnational Policy guidance for national and European e-Mental Health implementation.
14:30 Uhr
Digital approaches to mental health – pros and cons
Norman Sartorius, Genf (Switzerland)
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Norman Sartorius, Genf (Switzerland)
Digitalisation fits the description “Excellent servant, poor master”. The proper use of digital technology can facilitate the provision mental health care, reduce the cost of interventions, help to maintain records of action, serve to alleviate the burden of disease for those ill and for their families. At the same time, however, digitalisation can dehumanize care, increase its cost (by replacing simple interventions with technological fireworks), reduce the attention to diagnostic or therapeutic clues based on clinical experience and render the relationships between all those concerned with care – patients, doctors, families and other actors cold, impersonal and heartless.
The presentation will list positive and negative effects of digitalisation of medicine and mental health programs thus serving as the introduction and background to the presentation which will follow in the symposium.
14:40 Uhr
e-mental health in Europe – from development to promotion and implementation
Oyono Vlijter, Diemen (Netherlands)
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Oyono Vlijter, Diemen (Netherlands)
The demand for mental health care is increasing globally as a result of societal challenges such as automation, more competition and the growing impact of climate change. The direct and indirect economic costs of mental health problems are substantial. Recent statistics are showing that especially young people are struggling with mental health problems, while they represent the largest part of our workforce. Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis (‘lock downs’, unemployment) has led to an additional and rapid increase in demand and has changed the way care is delivered. There has been a significant increase in the use of e-mental health (eMH), telemental health in particular.
In general, it will be difficult to sustain European mental health care systems without investment in eMH technology. If properly developed, validated and implemented, eMH can contribute to keeping services, accessible, affordable and patient focused. The eMEN project (funded by the EU Interreg North-West-Europe programme) is promoting the latter through a European cooperation platform for eMH development, research and implementation. This platform focuses on ‘blend care’, which combines face-to-face and online treatment.
Implementation of eMH has been slow, even though this technology has been on the market for over 20 years. The reasons for this are related to the historical resistance from clinicians, quality problems, lack of digital skills and policies and other barriers. The level of eMH use between the different EU countries varies considerable; with for example high levels of eMH use in the Netherlands and lower levels in France. However, in the past 5 years we have seen a faster uptake of eMH across Europe. This presentation will give a short overview of the different levels of eMH implementation in the eMEN partner countries (Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland). It will also touch on the development of new eMH technologies.
14:50 Uhr
Internet interventions for mental disorders: quality standards and clinical application under the conditions of the corona pandemic
Jan P. Klein, Lübeck (Germany)
15:00 Uhr
Improving national and European implementation of e-mental health – the Transnational Policy guidance
Wolfgang Gaebel, Düsseldorf (Germany)
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Wolfgang Gaebel, Düsseldorf (Germany)
In times of global crisis like the present Covid-19 pandemic, e-technology is rapidly conquering the health care and mental health care sector speeding up eMH implementation on a regional, national and global scale.
Making this a well-organized move, guidance and regulation, legislation and training, plus acceptance and awareness building need to ensure the use of effective and safe high-quality eMH products and services. Attention needs to be focused on broadening the public and professional literacy, developing needs-tailored approaches for specific target groups, and training the mental health workforce and services. Guidance and accompanying evaluation are required to identify how citizens may best benefit from eMH in all ist varieties. To achieve this, the involvement of all kinds of stakeholders is also required.
Transnational Policy for e-Mental Health, a guidance document for European policymakers and stakeholders was developed as part of the Interreg-funded eMEN project (e-mental health innovation and transnational implementation platform North-West Europe; www.nweurope.eu/emen) in six EU countries to promote implementation of high-quality eMH across Europe. Project partners from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK were carrying out activities in research, product and policy guidance development, and communications.
Currently, eMEN is continuing its work within a funded Capitalisation phase to scaling up the implementation of eMH. The Transnational Policy within the scope of national training sessions on eMH will be made known to policymakers and stakeholders at the European level. Project partners will be organizing informational and training sessions in their own countries, further meetings will take place at the EU-level to further promote and help implement eMH in NW-Europe and beyond.