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Healthcare
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Public and Digital Approaches in Mental Health
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Public and Digital Approaches in Mental Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-being".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 604

Editors

Dr. Jose Antonio Monreal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, University of Barcelona, 08221 Terrassa, Spain 2. Neurosciences Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERSAM, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
Interests: mental health; psychosis; affective disorder; digital intervention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Azucena García-Palacios

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Clinical and Basic Psychology and Biopsychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Jaume I, 12071 Castellon, Spain
2. CIBERObn, Centro de investigación biomédica en Red, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Interests: mental health; emotional disorders; depression; anxiety; digital interventions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite the validation and availability of evidence-based treatments for various disorders, most people with mental health conditions do not receive optimal care. Treatments are not reaching those who need them, highlighting a significant dissemination problem. Among the various approaches to increasing access to evidence-based treatments, the use of digital solutions (online interventions, momentary ecological interventions, etc.) has proven highly effective. Furthermore, the development of public health strategies focused on improving accessibility and treatment in mental health is also necessary. However, there is still room for improvement in the adoption of digital and public health interventions in mental health care.

We are pleased to invite you to submit your work for this Special Issue. The objective is to publish original studies and reviews, including clinical trials and observational studies, that examine the effectiveness, implementation and adoption of digital and/or public health interventions in the field of mental health. Our primary interest lies in studies on the potential to increase access to public health systems, with particular focus on digital interventions. We are also interested in studies exploring the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental health care.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of existing digital solutions for mental health (including AI).
  • Validation studies about digital interventions to increase reach of mental health care in public services.
  • Validation studies (including feasibility studies) about the inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental health care.
  • Implementation science studies about the adoption and sustainability of digital interventions in mental health in different contexts (including cultural adaptations).
  • Validation studies about interventions in the public mental health sector to improve the prevention and management of different mental disorders.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jose Antonio Monreal
Dr. Azucena García-Palacios
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital solutions
  • mental health
  • public health care
  • artificial intelligence
  • ecological momentary interventions
  • mental disorders
  • psychiatry
  • clinical psychology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 206 KB  
Article
Implementation Burden and Hidden Labor in a Multisite Digital Psychiatry Trial
by Linda Rubene-Kesele
Healthcare 2026, 14(11), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14111430 - 22 May 2026
Viewed by 324
Abstract
Background: Multisite digital psychiatry trials increasingly rely on complex onboarding and implementation processes at local research sites. While outcome-focused evaluations are common, less attention has been paid to the site-level labor required to operationalize such studies in real-world settings, particularly at smaller or [...] Read more.
Background: Multisite digital psychiatry trials increasingly rely on complex onboarding and implementation processes at local research sites. While outcome-focused evaluations are common, less attention has been paid to the site-level labor required to operationalize such studies in real-world settings, particularly at smaller or resource-constrained sites. This study addresses this gap by examining hidden implementation labor from a single-site reflexive perspective. Methods: This study adopts a reflexive qualitative case study approach to examine onboarding and implementation processes at a single research site participating in a multisite digital psychiatry trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04953208). The analysis draws on longitudinal experiential data, supported by site-specific documentation, onboarding timelines, troubleshooting records, device-management materials, data quality assurance activities, and internal communications generated during site coordination and implementation activities. Results: Five interrelated themes were identified: hidden labor and role overload; resource scarcity at small research sites; fragmented remote communication and technical coordination; multi-role professional contexts and competing demands; and the impact of external systemic disruptions. Findings show how administrative, technical, logistical, and coordination tasks were absorbed into individual roles, often exceeding initial role expectations. Despite limited resources, the site achieved high performance through intensified individual effort, masking the true implementation burden. This pattern is conceptualized as a high-performance paradox, in which apparent site efficiency may conceal substantial hidden labor and role compression. Conclusions: This site-level reflexive account highlights the central role of hidden labor in sustaining implementation in multisite digital psychiatry trials. Recognizing and explicitly resourcing implementation work, particularly at small research sites, may improve feasibility, sustainability, and equity across study settings. The study contributes a practice-based methodological perspective on how implementation burden can be identified through reflexive analysis of site-level trial processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Public and Digital Approaches in Mental Health)
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