Young people seeking mental health support in Australia are experiencing significant benefits from digital mental health service MOST, showing high leels of satisfaction, sustained engagement and clinical improvements after only 12 weeks, new research shows.
The world first large-scale evaluation of MOST was led by Orygen Digital and published this week in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, analysed 32 months of service delivery to 5709 young people across 262 youth mental health clinics across Australia.
Results showed very high levels of engagement, with 55 per cent of MOST users still active at six weeks (compared to only 3 per cent of those who use popular commercially available mental health apps), and users experiencing a significant reduction of depression and anxiety after 12 weeks.
Of the nearly 1500 MOST users surveyed, 93 per cent said they would recommend MOST to others experiencing similar difficulties.
Chief of Orygen Digital, Professor Mario Alvarez-Jimenez, said the results and the levels of engagement were very encouraging and had not been seen before in live digital services, and supported the further integration of digital support services into existing youth mental health services and beyond.
“MOST is designed to adapt to wherever young people are in their mental health care journey, whether they're waiting for face-to-face care, receiving care, or after discharge,” Professor Alvarez-Jimenez said.
“Young people are currently referred to MOST through a participating mental health service, and our research shows that 55 per cent of users are those waiting for care - and that those using MOST while on waiting lists show particularly strong clinical improvements.
“This is important because waitlists are very long in most places, and rather than receiving no care, digital services like MOST can make a big impact on reducing pressure on the stretched youth mental health system - while at the same time improving outcomes for young people.”
More about the results:
- 5,709 young people from 262 clinics signed up and used MOST at least once.
- 71.7 per cent of users logged into MOST for at least 14 days, 40.1 per cent for 12 weeks, and 18.8 per cent for 24 weeks.
- 55 per cent used MOST while waiting for care, 27 per cent used it with a mental health professional in their service, and 11% as a treatment maintenance tool following discharge
- 93 per cent would recommend MOST to a friend
- 68 per cent of young people wrote positive feedback about MOST, especially the closed social network where young people can safely share experiences and provide positive support to each other
MOST was co-designed with young people, mental health professionals, researchers and software developers over a period of 12 years, and brings together clinician-delivered therapy, interactive digital psychotherapeutic content, vocational support, peer-to-peer support, and a youth-focused safe social network community.
Professor Alvarez-Jimenez said the evaluation showed not just high engagement, but very high degrees of satisfaction.
“The feedback we’ve received from young people is that they find MOST user-friendly and flexible, and that it provides a supportive and non-judgemental community,” Professor Alvarez-Jimenez said.
“MOST allows young people to go at their own pace, connect with others, and feel supported – whether they’re on a waiting list, they’re already accessing a service, or they want to maintain their mental health after being discharged from a service.”
“We often see digital interventions being used in isolation from clinical services, without fully considering how these new digital services can be integrated into the current systems of care.
“MOST is different, because it’s been designed with and for young people and it provides sustainable and integrated support that really makes a difference – this is what young people has asked from us and it is the mandate that we are fulfilling on their behalf.”
Professor Alvarez-Jimenez said that despite their potential for addressing service shortcomings, very few digital mental health interventions had been successfully implemented within mental health services, with MOST leading the way in Australia and internationally.
“We know that the mental health of our young people is seriously declining, and we’re seeing health services really struggle to cope with increasing demand, exacerbated by a shortage of qualified mental health practitioners and difficult funding environments,” Professor Alvarez-Jimenez said.
“Young people can face long wait times, a lack of continuity in care, and limited time with support services.
“This research shows that MOST has the potential to address these limitations and enhance youth mental health services, delivering complementary, engaging, and effective support to young people throughout their mental health care journey.”
More about MOST:
- MOST is available by referral from participating headspace and specialist youth mental health services.
- Developed in Melbourne, MOST is an Australian innovation with global impact in youth mental health, and is now being tested and implemented across the USA, Canada and the EU.
- MOST has five integrated support components that blend human support from mental health clinicians, youth peer workers who have lived experience of mental ill-health, and vocational experts, with interactive psychotherapeutic content and a safe, moderated youth-specific social network.
- MOST’s psychotherapeutic content is evidence-based, derived from cognitive behavioural therapies, and uses a mix of comics, illustrations, audio-visual and written content to convey mental health concepts and strategies.
- Young people are recommended one of six self-paced therapy ‘journeys’ based on what difficulties they report when they sign up.
- Learn more at https://most.org.au/