The number of digital psychologist contacts is increasing rapidly in primary care. In a report to the Public Health Authority, however, Vinnova points out that many of the services do not reach young people under 18 years of age.
The Norwegian Public Health Agency and the National Board of Health and Welfare have been tasked by the government to develop a basis for a new national strategy in the area of mental health and suicide prevention. Vinnova is one of 23 other authorities that contribute individual analyzes to the strategy.
Vinnova's report is based on four different areas of analysis, one of which concerns Innovations in digital services for mental health. In general, the use of digital services has increased rapidly since 2018, when private healthcare providers began offering publicly funded video calls or chat with psychologists in primary care.
Rapid growth of digital visits
Analysis of data from three regions shows that the number of digital visits to psychologists increased from 2,500 a month to 40,000, from the beginning of 2019 to the end of 2020. Interviews with representatives of the care providers also show a development from pure video meetings to web-based cognitive behavioral therapy based on home tasks completed in apps.
According to Mårten Blix and Amanda Dahlström-Rudin, who did the analysis on behalf of Vinnova's mission, there are several explanations for the rapidly increased consumption. The most important factor is that the services are relatively new, where a parallel can be drawn to the development of digital healthcare visits with doctors. Other influencing factors can also be a crowding out of physical visits during Corona, and that the stigma that can accompany visiting a psychiatric clinic is reduced when the meeting takes place digitally.
Their assessment is also that the new services have actually increased capacity in psychiatry, as each individual psychologist seems to be able to handle more patients when meetings take place digitally.
Young people are not reached by the services
In its analysis, Vinnova points to a number of aspects that should be taken into account in order to strengthen the conditions for innovation in digital services for mental health. Among other things, it is about the fact that the data created through digital care is underutilized. SKR collects data on expenses and diagnoses, but Vinnova believes that today there is a lack of an overall picture of both development and quality.
Another important aspect is that the current range of digital psychologist visits largely excludes children and young people, as most services are aimed at people over 18 years of age.
Marie Niljung is CEO of Livskämpar AB, which recently launched the app Lumeno. The app is a digital companion for increased mental health and suicide prevention, where young people are the main target group. The development of the service has been supported by both DigitalWell Arena and Vinnova.
- If we are to save the young, and meet their needs, we need to do things now. Innovation is to do for me. We also need to ensure that they have the same access to services to improve their health as those over 18. The advantage of Lumeno is that it has no age limit but can be the support/tool regardless of age, says Marie Nilljung.
Looking for research support
Vinnova is also calling for a greater focus on preventive efforts, to identify good examples that can be spread and benefit more people. Marie Niljung believes and hopes that Lumeno can become such an example - preferably with the support of a study:
- We know, through the feedback given directly in the app and the feedback I received personally, that Lumeno makes a difference. That's enough for me, but it would be interesting to follow up from a research perspective as well.
