A good friend’s young child is learning to read. We were going through ‘learn to read’ flashcards and alongside Apple, Bus and that infamous insatiable Caterpillar, a card forTelephone came up. To me, the image had a very familiar handset, set in a cradle with a cord attached to the base unit with a rotary dial. To her, it was something completely alien. “That’s not a telephone!” – as she went to find her mum’s sleek, black, brightly lit smartphone, complete with the YouTube Kids app that swiftly brought our reading session to an end.
It was a reminder, as if one was needed, that children and young people are not just technology natives; technology is embedded into the fabric of their lives.
What are some of the current challenges that children and young people’s mental health services are facing?
We know that such interdependency can be a contributor to poor mental health. However, digital technology is now also being used to support mental health care for children and young people in a variety of ways. Many apps and websites are being developed to provide mental health resources and support, such as self-help tools, educational materials, and even virtual reality experiences. What is difficult for all those working with children and young people is not the availability of such digital interventions but instead having clarity on what is safe, effective and appropriate for children and young people to be using.
Meanwhile, mental health services for children and young people (CYPMH) are facing a number of challenges. Rising demand, the wish to offer choice to young people in how and when they access and receive services, and preferences for how they are communicated with are just some of the issues that providers are having to grapple with. Faced with a lack of resources and long wait times, it is perhaps not surprising that healthcare providers are offering the option of online therapy services, enabling young people to access mental health support when and where it suits them.
How can digital solutions support the delivery of CYP psychological therapy services?
At Mayden, we believe that digital solutions can play an important role in supporting the delivery of psychological therapy services. In adult services, we have been thought leaders in establishing the mainstream use of online therapy through supplying streamlined onboarding, recording and reporting via our iaptus digital care record and our Prism hub that provide data flows for over 300,000 treatment sessions per year and approximately 40,000 users.
We believe that digital solutions can play an important role in supporting the delivery of CYP psychological therapy services.
We want to share our experiences in both adult and children’s services on the important role that tech and digital options can play to support the delivery of psychological therapies. This includes raising awareness of various digital options available. But also how the electronic health record (EHR) ecosystem is connected, how data reporting requirements are supported and the importance of safety, security and privacy when using digital tools.
Digital Showcase 2023: Tech Solutions for CYPMH Services
So we are pleased to announce that we are hosting a digital showcase on Thursday 23rd March 2023 in central Oxford to do just that.
Tickets are absolutely free, including refreshments and a light lunch, and attendees will have the opportunity to hear from service providers who are currently using digital options and meet the suppliers. We will discuss the digital ecosystem and the barriers to adopting digital solutions, and how digital technology is being used to improve access to mental health care for children and young people. We will also be talking about our partnerships with Wysa and Silvercloud, and how iaptus CYP is supporting service providers to ‘do the basics’ well.
Finally, we will be sharing our aspirations for the future and how we can work together to ensure that health tech suppliers talk to each other to improve access to mental health care. We are very excited at the prospect of such an event and look forward to welcoming you all and for the opportunities and discussions that can help make impactful change for children and young people across the country.
