Improving Digital Mental Health Services for Youth: The Need and the Opportunity

Wednesday September 29, 2021

12-1 PM (ET)

Digital mental health tools enable greater access to mental health and addiction services than ever before. But how much do we really know about these products? The answer might surprise you.

Most mental health apps have not been scientifically evaluated for safety or effectiveness. This knowledge gap is particularly concerning for youth, who often turn to apps for support.

In this webinar, we shared discoveries from a partnership project by HRI and Frayme that will enable Canada to start measuring the safety and quality of youth mental health apps. We discussed the role that people with lived and living expertise play in creating relevant and meaningful research, how youth, their allies, service providers, and researchers can join forces to improve services that support youth, their families, and caregivers.

The conversation was led by Dr. Yuri Quintana, HRI Collaborating Scientist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and there will be time for Q&A with the presenters.

Presenters:

Yuri Quintana, PhD
HRI Collaborating Scientist
Chief, Division of Clinical Informatics, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Kaitlyn Russell
Graduate of Biochemical Engineering Queen’s University, Ontario
Person with Lived Experience

Kevin O’Reilly
Retired School Vice-Principal from Kitchener-Waterloo Region, Ontario
Person with Lived Experience

Skye Barbic, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Research Lead, Foundry

Michael Krausz MD, PhD, FRCPC
UBC-Providence Leadership Chair for Addiction Research
Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Addiction Psychiatry,Institute of Mental Health at UBC

Senator Stan Kutcher, MD, FRCPC

This work is generously funded by Frayme and the RBC Foundation.