Mental health has always been a goal pursued by society; however, its definition remains quite vague. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, about 15% of the population is mentally healthy, 20% have mental disorders, and approximately 60% fall into a subhealthy category. Thus, the population needing mental health support is very large.
To address such a vast market, the digitization of mental health is a crucial component. Currently, most mental health services are delivered via mobile apps. This method has the advantage of quickly serving a large number of people, offering convenience and privacy. However, there are many challenges in this process. For instance, many mental health assessments involve both subjective and objective measures, but mobile apps typically provide only subjective assessments without objective evaluations.
Future developments should include:
1. Objective assessment methods, such as online evaluations.
2. Digital psychiatric therapies. The most commonly used and mature technology at present is Virtual Reality (VR), which also holds significant potential to replace traditional psychological treatments in the future.
In summary, digital mental health is still in its early stages. How to appropriately integrate digital technology with clinical needs and find suitable service models will be the key to success.