Orsolini Laura, Volpe Umberto, Ramalho Rodrigo, Ransing Ramdas, Gaebel Wolfgang
Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Tronto 10/A, Ancona 60126, Italy.
Department of Social and Community Health, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
Asian J Psychiatr. 2025 Jan;103:104340. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104340. Epub 2024 Dec 12.
The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Working Group on Digital Psychiatry aims to digitally supplement, support and improve mental health and care literacy, acceptance and accessibility across WPA member countries and National Psychiatric Associations (NPAs). To help with this goal, the present study was set to explore first the global status of digital mental health and care across NPAs METHODS: An international expert survey on the digitalization level across all 145 WPA NPAs was electronically distributed through Qualtrics. Descriptive statistics were carried out on the global dataset.
Across all 145 responses, 57 were included for analysis (39.3 % response rate). Most NPAs reported lacking an official section on digital mental health (73.7 %), missing national (59.6 %) or regional policies (82.5 %), clinical guidelines (>60 % depending on the digital tool/program), and education/training in both medicine (77.2 %) either and psychiatry training programs (71.9 %). Telemedicine seemed to be the most regulated digital tool in more than half of all included NPAs. Telemedicine (45.6 %) and telemental healthcare (38.6 %) were generally reimbursed. The reported highest priority areas for future actions across WPA Regions were education and training, and the development of guidelines.
This study represents a benchmark in the work of the WG on Digital Psychiatry. It presents clear priority areas that will guide the delivery of targeted actions aimed to promote digital mental health and care, and ultimately, equitable mental health outcomes around the world. Overall, the highest priorities to be globally implemented are represented by education/training and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
世界精神病学协会（WPA）数字精神病学工作组旨在以数字化方式补充、支持并提高WPA成员国及国家精神病学协会（NPAs）的心理健康及护理知识水平、接受度和可及性。为推动这一目标的实现，本研究首先对各NPAs的数字心理健康及护理的全球现状进行了探索。方法：通过Qualtrics以电子方式向WPA的145个NPAs就数字化水平开展了一项国际专家调查。对全球数据集进行了描述性统计分析。
在所有145份回复中，57份纳入分析（回复率39.3%）。大多数NPAs报告称缺乏数字心理健康方面的官方部门（73.7%），缺少国家（59.6%）或地区政策（82.5%）、临床指南（>60%，取决于数字工具/项目），以及医学（77.2%）和精神病学培训项目（71.9%）方面的教育/培训。在超过一半的纳入NPAs中，远程医疗似乎是监管最严格的数字工具。远程医疗（45.6%）和远程心理医疗（38.6%）通常可报销。WPA各区域报告的未来行动最高优先领域是教育和培训以及指南的制定。
本研究是数字精神病学工作组工作的一个基准。它明确了优先领域，将指导开展有针对性的行动，以促进数字心理健康及护理，并最终在全球实现公平的心理健康成果。总体而言，全球实施的最高优先事项是教育/培训和循证临床实践指南。
