Evaluating Engagement and Effectiveness of Digital Health Technology to Promote and Support Mental Health and Well-being

: (Alternative Format Thesis)

Abstract

Promoting mental well-being is associated with many individual and societal benefits, including its ability to simultaneously support mental health, leading to a reduced risk of mental health conditions. However, many individuals in the non-clinical population experience suboptimal mental well-being, particularly university students. The World Health Organisation has identified promoting mental well-being as a fundamental goal in the mental health action plan 2013-2030. Fully automated digital health technology (such as apps and AI apps) provides a particularly promising way to promote mental well-being in a non-clinical population. However, despite rapid technological advancements and exponential growth in the development of digital health technology, research is largely lagging. Therefore, this PhD thesis aims to fill this gap by evaluating engagement with and effectiveness of digital health technology to promote (and support) mental health and well-being in the non-clinical population. To achieve this aim, a systematic review and meta-analysis, qualitative and quantitative research was undertaken. The systematic review and meta-analysis indicated a small significant effect of fully automated digital health technology in promoting mental well-being in the general non-clinical population. Empirical research, conducted specifically on non-clinical university students, found that the effectiveness of digital health technology differs across individuals depending on their personality traits in a pre-post trial. Furthermore, qualitative research found that non-clinical university students’ suboptimal engagement and dropout currently impedes upon the effectiveness of fully automated digital health technology. Barriers to engagement were constructed, including a lack of trust in digital health technology, and inform important considerations for the development of future digital health technology and policies, which are discussed. Overall, fully automated digital health technology provides a promising and effective way to promote (and support) mental health and well-being in the non-clinical (student) population, although limited contemporary validity of findings due to rapid technological advancements highlights the need for future research.

Date of Award	25 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Mark Brosnan (Supervisor), Nathalia Gjersoe (Supervisor), Christopher Clarke (Supervisor) & Ben Ainsworth (Supervisor)