Potentials and Challenges of E-Mental Health Interventions in Mental Health Care

Mental disorders are common and impairing for both affected individuals and society. Despite the great burden of mental disorders and a comparably well-developed mental health care system in Germany, mental disorders are still treated insufficiently. Additionally, access barriers such as long waiting times for outpatient treatment impede utilization of mental health care services. E-mental health interventions are considered as promising options to reduce access barriers and to overcome gaps in the mental health care system. Such interventions can be delivered flexibly (i.e. independent of time and / or space), so that people living in rural and underserved areas, or people with mobility constraints (e.g. because of physical illness or impairment) can be reached adequately. However, the e-(mental) health sector is facing numerous challenges, as there is ambiguity regarding terminological, conceptual and evaluative aspects hindering the implementation process in routine care and affecting acceptance of e-mental health interventions for users and health care providers. Thus, this contribution describes and discusses potentials, challenges and needs for specification (e.g. terminologically) of e-mental health interventions in the context of mental health care.