Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35929589›Full record

ReviewPerspectives in public health2024

Measuring the digital divide among people with severe mental ill health using the essential digital skills framework.

P Spanakis, R Wadman, L Walker, P Heron, A Mathers, J Baker, G Johnston, S Gilbody, E Peckham

Open access · greenAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Perspectives in public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
12.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Dietary E-Health Interventions for Adults With Severe Mental Illness: A Systematic Review.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025
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  6. Co-Producing an Intervention Involving Dental Professionals Providing Oral Health Support in a Mental Healthcare Setting.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

P SpanakisDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, ARRC Building, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymnon, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-2732-8300
R WadmanDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK.
L WalkerDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2459-7860
P HeronDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK.
A MathersThe Good Things Foundation, Sheffield, UK; Royal Society of Arts, London, UK.
J BakerSchool of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
G JohnstonIndependent Peer Researcher, Clackmannan, UK.
S GilbodyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK.
E PeckhamDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK.
University of York · GBRoyal Society of Arts · GBUniversity of Crete · GRUniversity of Leeds · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsAmid the vast digitalisation of health and other services during the pandemic, people with no digital skills are at risk of digital exclusion. This risk might not abate by the end of the pandemic. This article seeks to understand whether people with severe mental ill health (SMI) have the necessary digital skills to adapt to these changes and avoid digital exclusion.

methodsTwo hundred and forty-nine adults with SMI across England completed a survey online or offline. They provided information on their digital skills based on the Essential Digital Skills (EDS) framework, sociodemographic information, and digital access. This is the first time that the EDS is benchmarked in people with SMI.

results42.2% had no Foundation Skills, and 46.2% lacked skills for daily life (lacking Foundation or Life Skills). 23.0% of those working lacked skills for professional life (lacking Foundation or Work Skills). The most commonly missing skills were handling passwords and using the device settings (Foundation Skills) and online problem solving (Skills for Life). People were interested in learning more about approximately half of the skills they did not have. People were more likely to lack Foundation Skills if they were older, not in employment, had a psychosis-spectrum disorder, or had no Internet access at home.

conclusionA significant portion of people with SMI lacked Foundation Skills in this objective and benchmarked survey. This points to a high risk for digital exclusion and the need for focused policy and tailored health sector support to ensure people retain access to key services and develop digital skills and confidence. To our knowledge, this is the first time this has been described using the EDS framework. Services, including the National Health Service (NHS), need to be aware of and mitigate the risks.

Indexed as

Digital DivideMental DisordersAdultEmploymentHumansMental HealthState Medicinebipolardigital dividedigital skillsInternetpsychosissevere mental ill health

Identifiers

PMID35929589
PMCPMC10757390
OpenAlexW4289878770

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.