Exploring the potential of technology-based mental health services for homeless youth: A qualitative study.

Abstract

Homelessness has serious consequences for youth that heighten the need for mental health services; however, these individuals face significant barriers to access. New models of intervention delivery are required to improve the dissemination of mental health interventions that tailor these services to the unique challenges faced by homeless youth. The purpose of this study was to better understand homeless youths’ use of technology, mental health experiences and needs, and willingness to engage with technology-supported mental health interventions to help guide the development of future youth-facing technology-supported interventions. Five focus groups were conducted with 24 homeless youth (62.5% female) in an urban shelter. Youth were 18 to 20 years old with current periods of homelessness ranging from six days to four years. Transcripts of these focus groups were coded to identify themes. Homeless youth reported using mobile phones frequently for communication, music, and social media. They indicated a lack of trust and a history of poor relationships with mental health providers despite recognizing the need for general support as well as help for specific mental health problems. Although initial feelings towards technology that share information with a provider were mixed, they reported an acceptance of tracking and sharing information under certain circumstances. Based on these results, we provide recommendations for the development of mental health interventions for this population focusing on technology-based treatment options.

Experiences and implications of smartphone apps for depression and anxiety

“…This matches previous exploratory research that found positivity towards the hypothetical possibility of apps for depression and anxiety (Adkins et al . , Torous et al . ).…”

“…Such studies have often focused on hypothetical attitudes and expectations prior to use (Adkins et al . , Torous et al . ), or on design features and usability of one app in isolation (Grist et al .…”

Toward clinical digital phenotyping: a timely opportunity to consider purpose, quality, and safety

“…Because the activation of device sensors is associated with additional power demands, limited battery capacity—or the ability to charge devices on demand—may also be relevant, for example in homeless youth. 104 Similarly, the assumption that smartphones are “always carried and always on” may not be valid in older populations, limiting their ability to derive value from digital phenotyping strategies that rely on continuous signals. Recognizing that there may be constraints associated with specific populations does not mean that nothing can be done.…”

Health problems and healthcare service utilisation amongst homeless adults in Africa- a scoping review

“…Various United Nations estimates show that between 100 to 150 million people experience different forms of homelessness worldwide [1][2][3]. This is a concern because the homeless population is susceptible to various health problems due to their sleeping conditions [4][5][6][7][8][9][10], and they are a marginalised group with poor access and low usage of health care services [5].…”