Mental health problems are common among Dutch young people between the ages of 12 and 25. At least 13 to 25% experience feelings of depression or anxiety. This has long-lasting and serious negative effects and leads to high social costs. Treatment often comes too late due to waiting lists and little attention is paid to prevention. A systematic change of our health system is desperately needed. But how? Because adequate knowledge is lacking. The awarded research will systematically examine how technology such as eHealth and apps can structurally support young people with mental problems.
March eHealth
Hundreds of thousands of apps are already available in the field of health in the broadest sense. This ranges from validated monitoring of chronic diseases to pedometers and nutrition coaches. Only a limited number of (validated) monitoring tools and accessible interventions in the form of eHealth, for example, are available on the topic of mental health. In practice, research shows that young people in particular are on average very open to this type of technologically driven support.
Interventions driven by technology
This research project was therefore set up to gain more insight into the possibilities for technological support for young people who have or are at risk of developing mental health problems. The research is interdisciplinary and the researchers work together with young people, professionals and policy makers. Real-time measurements are taken and AI is used to analyze the effectiveness of eHealth solutions.
Loes Keijsers, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences explains on the Erasmus University website: “In this interdisciplinary and interuniversity research program we will work with advanced real-time measurements and data analysis, for example by using artificial intelligence. (AI). We will investigate how the use of new technologically-driven interventions, such as eHealth, can contribute to this. “
Mental health transition
In this project ‘Proactive Technology-supported prevention and Mental health in adolences’ researchers from medical sciences, social sciences, behavioral sciences and humanities and technology are working together to advance this major transition in mental health. In concrete terms, it concerns a collaboration between Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus MC and TU Delft.