Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41741774›Full record

ReviewNature human behaviour2026

Digital mental health needs a purpose-driven approach.

Mowafa Househ, Hurmat Ali Shah, Zain Ul Abideen Tariq, Diana Alsayed Hassan, Mohamed Khalifa, Jens Schneider, Mounir Hamdi, Alaa Abd-Alrazaq, Arfan Ahmad, Barry Solaiman and 2 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nature human behaviour, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

12 authors.

Mowafa HousehCollege of Science and Engineering, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar. mhouseh@hbku.edu.qa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3648-6271
Hurmat Ali ShahDepartment of Computing and Informatics, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK.
Zain Ul Abideen TariqCollege of Science and Engineering, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
Diana Alsayed HassanCollege of Public Policy, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
Mohamed KhalifaCollege of Health Sciences, Education Centre of Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jens SchneiderCollege of Science and Engineering, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
Mounir HamdiCollege of Science and Engineering, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
Alaa Abd-AlrazaqWeill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
Arfan AhmadWeill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4025-5767
Barry SolaimanCollege of Law, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2600-5075
Andre KushnirukSchool of Health Information Science, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Saleem Khaldoon Al-NuaimiDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5244-7205

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Digital mental health (DMH) encompasses telepsychiatry, mobile apps, games and artificial intelligence (AI)-augmented interventions. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the development and deployment of DMH solutions, particularly those incorporating AI-based mental health support. In this Perspective, we consider both the technological and clinical design spaces and advocate for purpose-driven, patient-centred solutions rather than a technology-first approach. The purpose of DMH should be to address societal gaps in mental healthcare, following established frameworks for chronic illness management to meet the specific needs of each patient. We examine the ethical dimensions of DMH, underscoring the importance of procedural justice, harm prevention and data privacy. Additionally, we highlight the unique challenges faced by marginalized and vulnerable populations, emphasizing the role of DMH in promoting equal availability of mental healthcare. Aligning DMH with user perspectives, ethical considerations and clinician involvement can result in more effective and empathetic digital interventions, thereby transforming mental healthcare delivery.

Identifiers

PMID41741774

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.