7 emerging trends bringing mental health services closer to young people

Authored by Olusoji Victor Ladele, Innovation Manager, Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing Portfolio

From digital self-help tools to chatbots, frontier technology is redefining young people’s access to mental health services. At UNICEF’s Office of Innovation, we conducted a landscape assessment with Dalberg to identify the most promising transformational approaches to mental health challenges. 

We found a proliferation of remote and self-guided therapy apps, several solutions improving data collection and analysis, and promising approaches to delivering professionals' mental health training online. 

To celebrate this #WorldMentalHealthDay, below are seven trailblazing approaches we feel have the potential to transform mental health for today’s youth and for future generations to come: 

Self-guided Therapy

Because mental health workers are overburdened, and, in many countries, in short supply.

POD Adventures is a video game with an added benefit: it helps children with or at risk of anxiety, depression, and behavioural difficulties. Children play the game independently on their smartphones, stabilizing their moods without the need for in-person support. The game is being tested at secondary schools in India and, if successful, could help relieve the strain on mental health services around the world.  

Chatbots for Mental Health

Because first-response systems should be more efficient and easier to access.

The 7 Cups website provides free online therapy, self-help guides, and listening support to people experiencing emotional distress. “Noni”— an AI-powered chatbot — greets users as they enter the site. The chatbot fields messages, responds in real time, and assigns visitors to trained listeners. Third-party academic studies found 7 Cups just as effective as a supplement for treatment. The site, which won the Stanford Medicine X | Health Care System Design, hopes to eventually provide therapy as well as first response care.  

Mental Health Training

Because there is a shortage of skilled mental health and psychosocial support workers.

Technology-Assisted Cascade Training and Supervision (TACTS) uses tablet-based training and Skype-based supervision to expand the mental health workforce. Trainees learn how to deliver cognitive behavioural therapy and combat perinatal depression without ever stepping into a classroom. Though TACTS currently only operates in Pakistan, randomized controlled trials showed it to be as effective as face-to-face training, which means it has the potential to be applied across the entire mental health training landscape.  

Data for Mental Health Research

Because data can help fill the knowledge gap in mental health research.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba, Kwansei Gakuin University, and Osaka University successfully used Twitter to identify cases of depression. The researchers looked closely at participant Twitter accounts, assessing posting frequency, the ratio of positive to negative words, and the frequency of those words. Using a machine learning model, the researchers were able to identify cases of depression with 69% accuracy. This holds tremendous promise for the early identification of people needing help, especially young people, who are very active on social media. 

Digital Self-help Tools

Because digital tools allow people to work on their mental health independently, often for little to no cost.

MoodMission is an app that teaches people how to cope with depressed and anxious feelings. The app prompts users to rate their moods, then provides an activity tailored to their specific needs. Once users complete the activity, they are again prompted to rate their mood. The app tracks your feelings and, with time, becomes a personal window into your daily moods. A randomized controlled trial showed that MoodMission’s digital approach to cognitive behavioural therapy is working—it reduced depression, improved wellbeing, and helped users cope with stress.  

Mental Health App Review Platforms

Because consumers need to be empowered to navigate increasingly complex care options.

PsyberGuide is one of several review websites designed to help consumers navigate the increasingly vast range of mental health products and services. Trained experts review mental health apps, providing a starting point for anyone seeking mental health support. The review site was developed by the One Mind Institute—a non-profit organisation—and is free to use. With young people spending so much time online, it’s important that they have tools like PsyberGuide to help them find the most credible apps. 

Remote Therapy Tools

Because distance prevents many people from accessing mental health prevention and treatment support. Remote therapy tools, like virtual reality care, can solve the problem.

The Blue Room VRE (Virtual Reality Environment) delivers cognitive behavioural therapy with a new, digital twist. Instead of traditional therapy sessions, Blue Room VRE uses projections to shine immersive, 360-degree images on the walls and ceilings of a room.  Scenes are tailored to the patient, slowly exposing them to their feared stimulus. A small-sample study found that through Blue Room VRE, 33% of children showed improvements in real-life phobias. The best part? Since it’s digital, the therapy can be delivered outside of health facilities, potentially reaching many more people than traditional treatment options. 

These innovations were identified through a study commissioned by UNICEF’s Office of Innovation in partnership with Dalberg. The study analysed the global landscape of existing mental health innovations in an effort to find new, cutting-edge ideas. Studies like this help UNICEF identify—and then support and scale—innovations with the potential to transform children’s mental health.