Dawn of a new day for mental health systems

Abstract

[...]the exponential growth of digital innovation (including data science and online platforms) offers concrete opportunities to effectively deliver services at any scale, highlighting the need for a comprehensive health system strategy capable of integrating e-mental health with in-person services locally, nationally, and globally. In summary, the IJMHS seeks to foster the critical research programs that will inform the decision-making process required to democratize mental health services, by bringing together the multiple effective interventions we already know to exist and the platforms that will deliver them at scale in real-world health systems. Digital Heath and Mental Health Systems will seek to incentivize and disseminate research focusing on the integration of digital tools (from virtual care and telemedicine to fully automated AI-powered interventions) into existing systems and services. The Mental Health Systems Planning Editorial Priority Area will encourage research and submissions that stem from collaborations between mental health researchers and decision-makers geared towards informing prioritization and resource allocation by rigorously assessing what the population needs are and what the services to meet those needs should be, both from a qualitative and a quantitative perspective.