E-mental health: Promising advancements in policy, research, and practice

Abstract

The increasing need for mental health services in the population is posing significant challenges for the health system. It is therefore important to identify new approaches to delivering care that are sustainable and scalable in terms of reach and impact. E-mental health is one approach that shows promise in addressing the treatment gap in mental healthcare. E-mental health involves leveraging the Internet and related technologies such as smartphone apps, web sites, and social media to deliver mental health services. Over the past decade, this field has made significant advancements in Canada and internationally. In this article, the author introduces the e-mental health field and provides an overview of promising Canadian developments in relation to policy, research, and practice. In addition, the article discusses some of the challenges facing the wide-scale implementation of e-mental health and identifies priority areas of focus for health leaders to advance the field.