Claudia Martínez and Imogen Farhan report 2019; highlighted the importance and how using data-driven technology can indeed transform mental healthcare.

Mental healthcare is undergoing a “digital revolution.” The booming market for mental health apps is the most visible aspect of this transformation, and testament to the public appetite for data-driven mental health support. Despite known gaps in evidence regarding their effectiveness, there are now upwards of 10,000 apps available to download, with one of the most popular apps boasting over 45 million downloads.

In order to take full advantage of the advances in data-driven technology to improve mental healthcare, the NHS must “walk before it runs.” While the opportunities offered by mental health apps represent the public face of the digital mental health revolution, the value of data-driven technologies in mental healthcare in fact extends far beyond this. By opening up new types of data collection and analysis, data-driven technologies present
opportunities to advance understanding of the causes of mental illness, improve detection and diagnosis, and help redesign services around the needs of patients.