{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T18:45:44Z","timestamp":1782845144225,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Form Res"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Every year, one-fourth of the people in the United Kingdom experience diagnosable mental health concerns, yet only a proportion receive a timely diagnosis and treatment. With novel developments in digital technologies, the potential to increase access to mental health assessments and triage is promising.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This study aimed to investigate the current state of mental health provision in the United Kingdom and understand the utility of, and interest in, digital mental health technologies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n A web-based survey was generated using Qualtrics XM. Participants were recruited via social media. Data were explored using descriptive statistics.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n The majority of the respondents (555\/618, 89.8%) had discussed their mental health with a general practitioner. More than three-fourths (503\/618, 81.4%) of the respondents had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, with the most common diagnoses being depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Diagnostic waiting times from first contact with a health care professional varied by diagnosis. Neurodevelopmental disorders (30\/56, 54%), bipolar disorder (25\/52, 48%), and personality disorders (48\/101, 47.5%) had the longest waiting times, with almost half (103\/209, 49.3%) of these diagnoses taking >6 months. Participants stated that waiting times resulted in symptoms worsening (262\/353, 74.2%), lower quality of life (166\/353, 47%), and the necessity to seek emergency care (109\/353, 30.9%). Of the 618 participants, 386 (62.5%) stated that they felt that their mental health symptoms were not always taken seriously by their health care provider and 297 (48.1%) were not given any psychoeducational information. The majority of the respondents (416\/595, 77.5%) did not have the chance to discuss mental health support and treatment options. Critically, 16.1% (96\/595) did not find any treatment or support provided at all helpful, with 63% (48\/76) having discontinued treatment with no effective alternatives. Furthermore, 88.3% (545\/617) of the respondents) had sought help on the web regarding mental health symptoms, and 44.4% (272\/612) had used a web application or smartphone app for their mental health. Psychoeducation (364\/596, 61.1%), referral to a health care professional (332\/596, 55.7%), and symptom monitoring (314\/596, 52.7%) were the most desired app features. Only 6.8% (40\/590) of the participants said that they would not be interested in using a mental health assessment app. Respondents were the most interested to receive an overall severity score of their mental health symptoms (441\/546, 80.8%) and an indication of whether they should seek mental health support (454\/546, 83.2%).<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n Key gaps in current UK mental health care provision are highlighted. Assessment and treatment waiting times together with a lack of information regarding symptoms and treatment options translated into poor care experiences. The participants\u2019 responses provide proof-of-concept support for the development of a digital mental health assessment app and valuable recommendations regarding desirable app features.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/43271","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,10]],"date-time":"2023-07-10T04:23:02Z","timestamp":1688962982000},"page":"e43271","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Opportunities for the Implementation of a Digital Mental Health Assessment Tool in the United Kingdom: Exploratory Survey Study"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4654-1449","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Benedetta","family":"Spadaro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9731-3809","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nayra 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