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Symposia

Program / Treatment Design

Harnessing Low-Intensity Treatments to Support People on Mental Health Treatment Waitlists

2 - (SYM 29) Digital Mental Health for Individuals on Treatment Waitlists: Needs Assessment and Emerging Interventions

Saturday, November 22, 2025
10:22 AM - 10:39 AM CST
Location: Imperial 12, Level 4
Keywords: Treatment/ Program Design, Technology / Mobile Health, Health Care System
Recommended Readings: Buck, B., Kadakia, A., Larsen, A., Tauscher, J., Guler, J., & Ben-Zeev, D. (2024). Digital interventions for people waitlisted for mental health services: A needs assessment and preference survey. Practice Innovations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000250,   Peipert, A., Adams, S., & Lorenzo-Luaces, L. (2023). “I would not want the mechanic to direct me to an engine repair manual”: A qualitative analysis of provider perspectives on low-intensity treatments for patients on waiting lists. BMC Psychiatry, 23, 600.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05055-6,   Horwitz, A. G., Mills, E. D., Sen, S., & Bohnert, A. S. (2024). Comparative effectiveness of three digital interventions for adults seeking psychiatric services: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 7, e2422115-e2422115. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.22115,   Sung, J. Y., Bugatti, M., Vivian, D., & Schleider, J. L. (2023). Evaluating a telehealth single-session consultation service for clients on psychotherapy wait-lists. Practice Innovations, 8, 141-161.,  
Abstract Body
Self-guided digital interventions may provide one option for addressing the needs of individuals on waitlists for mental health services. Digital resources are appealing to patients, easy-to-use, require minimal or no staffing, and a growing body of research suggests that they are linked with small-to-moderate improvements in symptoms across a variety of mental health conditions. However, given the rapid emergence of scalable digital interventions, there is need for research that guides the development of interventions designed specifically for the experience of individuals on waitlists. This presentation provides initial data to support development of waitlist-focused interventions and examines the application of scalable digital mental health in one specific case example where rapid treatment access is critical: youth at risk for psychosis. First, we will present the results of an online needs assessment survey of a diverse sample of 135 individuals who (1) sought mental health services within the past year and (2) at the time of completing the survey – still had not received the services that they sought. In this study, participants reported that on average nearly 8 months (M = 7.74 months, SD = 8.51) had elapsed since they first sought services, and that their motivation to seek services was lower today than when they attempted to contact providers (d = -0.43). Over half (58.3%) expressed specific interest in an app-based intervention. They also reported interest in an intervention that offers psychoeducation about treatments (94.7% reporting moderate interest or higher) and illnesses (87.4%) alongside interactive practices focused on relevant skills, for example cognitive restructuring (85.2%) or sleep hygiene (85.8%). Second, we will provide a brief overview of our team’s work examining scalable, self-guided interventions for youth at risk for psychosis, with an eye toward delivery during the waitlist period. Rapid treatment access is particularly beneficial for youth at risk for psychosis, and at the same time, members of this population face unique barriers, including stigma, difficulties recognizing symptoms, and a lack of trained providers. We will briefly demonstrate our team’s approach to developing scalable mental health tools for youth at risk for psychosis – with a specific focus on a mobile app intervention (NORTH) – and discuss potential applications of digital tools to support members of this population on treatment waitlists.