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Digital mental health: Perceptions and opinions of Tunisian patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

H. Jemli ,
U. Ouali ,
M. Hajri ,
R. Jenhani ,
M. Djelassi  and
R. Jomli
H. Jemli*
Affiliation:
1Psychiatry deparment A, Razi Hospital, Manouba 2Faculty of medicine of Tunis, University Tunis Elmanar, Tunis
U. Ouali
Affiliation:
1Psychiatry deparment A, Razi Hospital, Manouba
M. Hajri
Affiliation:
3Outpatient psychiatric department, Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia
R. Jenhani
Affiliation:
3Outpatient psychiatric department, Razi Hospital, Manouba, Tunisia
M. Djelassi
Affiliation:
1Psychiatry deparment A, Razi Hospital, Manouba
R. Jomli
Affiliation:
1Psychiatry deparment A, Razi Hospital, Manouba
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

With the rapid advancement of modern technology, many countries have adopted mental health care systems supplemented by digital means of communication. Are Tunisian patients “ready” for the “digital revolution”?

Objectives

The aim of our study was to assess perceptions of people living with mental illness on digital mental health.

Methods

We developed a cross-sectional study where we randomly included patients who were treated for a psychiatric disorder in a public or a private practice. Inclusion criteria were: subject 18 years old or older, clinical remission for at least three months. We developed a questionnaire on sociodemographic and clinical variables. We also included questions on patients’ level of interest in using digital mental health services such as teleconsultation and mental health smartphone apps. Perceived obstacles in using digital mental health by patients were also evaluated.

Results

Our sample size was 260 patients. The mean age of our population was 36,4 years old with. The mean distance from the household to the mental health care provider was 17,3 km.

Two thirds of the sample had access to a wifi connection at home (172 patients). When asked about the content of internet searches, 66% have already looked for information on their mental health or mental disorders on web pages. Patients were very interested in video teleconsultation with their therapists (72%), psychoeducation apps (68%) and online mood journals (61%). They expressed little to no interest in online exchanges with other patients and medication reminder apps. The most reported obstacles in implementing digital mental health as noted by patients were : lack of perceived effectiveness, virtual communication with their therapist and confidentiality issues.

Conclusions

Mental health patients in Tunisia expressed a great interest in teleconsultations and online psychoeducation programs. Further research on the willingness of mental health professionals to adopt digital mental health services are needed.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S163
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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