Digital Mental Health—Breaking a Lance for Prevention

Abstract

Mental illnesses are on the rise with a lifetime prevalence of 20%-25% [1] and showed a further increase during the Covid-19 Pandemic [2]. The most frequent disorders are depression, anxiety, and substance or alcohol abuse-related disorders. Besides the great personal burden caused by mental disorders, they cause substantial economic costs due to sick leaves and early retirements. Especially an early onset of mental illness is critical: suffering from a psychiatric disorder during childhood and adolescence greatly interferes with developmental tasks (as building social relationships, and academic achievements) [3], [4] and is associated with a high probability of chronification until adulthood [5]. In contrast to such developments stands the low supply, uptake, and high numbers of nonresponders or relapse in the treatment of psychological disorders [6], [7]. Here, we first motivate why prevention can be an urgently needed game changer, and how it could best be supported by artificial intelligence.