Digital Health

Group – 07

Group members:
Mental Health In
Chinwendu Okorie
Elizabeth Otieno
Germany
Eruj Saeed
Farhan Pirzada
Introduction
It's estimated that around one in four German adults suffer from mental health issues each year,
including anxiety and addiction. However, the country has several facilities to help with mental
health problems. Research has indicated that internet addiction, particularly among younger
demographics such as teenagers, is becoming a widespread issue. It has been linked
to depression, low self-esteem, and loneliness – symptoms that often lead to diagnosable mental
illnesses and worsening issues that were already present.
 Germany is the fourth largest economy in the world after the United States, China and Japan and the largest economy in Europe.
It is the third largest export nation globally: With 70% the service sector contributes the largest part to the country’s GDP.

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Germany's GDP Size o Population Size 84.3 mn
o Gross Domestic Product (GDP) $4.39 trillion o Women 42.8 mn
o GDP Per Capita $58,283 o Men 41.5 mn
o GDP Per Capita CAGR Growth 0.6% o Life expectancy at birth 81 years
o Median Age 46 years
o Dependency Ratio Young, Old, Total
ww.worldeconomics.com/Country-Data/Germany.aspx
www.home.kpmg/de/en/home/insights/overview/economic-key-facts-germany.html
www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Population/Current-Population/_node.html
22 : 34 : 55
Brief Description Of The Six Health Systems Building Blocks and Organization of Health
Systems In Germany

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/germany
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK298834/
  DESCRIPTION OF ATTRIBUTES AND LEVELS.
  Level Description
Attribute

1. Introductory training Online; via phone; face-to-face meeting in a group Refers to a 1-hour introductory training session explaining how the
therapy program works. The training can be offered in different
formats: an online learning program (self-learning), individually by
phone with a coach, or locally in a group of potential users facilitated
by a coach.

2. Human contact No human contact; via email; via phone; via video call, Refers to contact with a person with training in psychology during the
face-to-face in context of blended care online therapy session. The contact was defined as 1 phone call or
video chat of 30 minutes’ duration per week, or a 1-hour
psychotherapy session once per week in the context of blended care.

3. Peer support No peer support; online community; online Refers to the voluntary option to interact with other users of the
community plus organized local meetings online therapy program in a moderated online community or in a
moderated online community accompanied by coach-led group
meetings on site (once per month).

4. Proven effectiveness Yes; not yet Refers to whether the effectiveness of the online therapy program has
been confirmed in scientific studies. Please note that if the
effectiveness is set to “not yet,” it may mean that the program is
effective but there is not yet sufficient evidence this is the case.
• Interventions
• There are several digital health interventions that could potentially address bottlenecks in the healthcare system
concerning mental health in Germany. Such as:

1.Online therapy: One option is to offer online therapy, which can be convenient and accessible for patients who live in rural
areas or who have difficulty traveling to a therapy appointment. Online therapy can also be less expensive than in-person
therapy.

2.Telemedicine: Another option is to use telemedicine to connect patients with healthcare providers remotely. This can help to
reduce the burden on in-person mental health clinics and make it easier for patients to access care.

3.Mental health apps: There are also many mental health apps available that can help people manage their mental health. These
apps may include features such as stress management tools, mindfulness exercises, and self-help resources.

4.Social media support groups: Social media platforms can be used to connect people with similar mental health conditions,
allowing them to share their experiences and support each other. This can be particularly helpful for people who feel isolated
and may not have access to in-person support groups.

5.Virtual reality therapy: Virtual reality (VR) therapy is a newer technology that is being explored as a way to treat mental health
conditions. VR therapy involves using a headset to immerse the user in a virtual environment, which can be used to help people
confront their fears and work through issues related to their mental health.
 • German medical psychotherapists, despite having little previous
experience with BC, showed positive attitudes towards BC
together with a strong intention for future use in treatments.
Simila to therapists from other countries, they appreciate the use
of eMHIs for practical CBT-oriented therapy tasks while stressing
the importance of maintenance of the therapeutic relationship
through the larger number of parallel face-to-face sessions.

• Our findings from the DCE suggest a strong preference for BC

treatment that includes an online component approved by a
professional psychotherapist society. This highlights the
Conclusion importance of including professional associations early in the
development, application, and evaluation of BC treatments to
encourage uptake. Our results suggest that German
psychotherapists care less about the additional reimbursement
but are ready to use BC formats if they are convinced of the
effectiveness and trustworthiness of the online components.

• Thus, financial incentives may not be very useful for encouraging

wider use of BC in Germany, and assessment along with
recommendations from trusted institutions for online
components of BC would be recommended.
 1. Wind TR, Rijkeboer M, Andersson G, Riper H. The COVID-19 pandemic: The
‘black swan’ for mental health care and a turning point for e-health.
Internet Interv.
2020;20:100317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2020.100317.
2. Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar 
3. Christensen H, Hickie IB. Using e-health applications to deliver new mental
health services. Med J Aust. 2010;192(S11). https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-
5377.2010.tb03695.x.
4. Barak A, Klein B, Proudfoot JG. Defining internet-supported therapeutic
interventions. Ann Behav Med.

REFERENCES 2009;38(1):4–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9130-7.
5. Article PubMed Google Scholar 
6. Barak A, Hen L, Boniel-Nissim M, Shapira N, a. A Comprehensive Review
and a Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Internet-Based
Psychotherapeutic Interventions. J Technol Hum Serv. 2008;26(2–4):109–
60. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228830802094429.
7. Article Google Scholar 
8. Grist R, Cavanagh K. Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for
Common Mental Health Disorders, What Works, for Whom Under What
Circumstances? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Contemp
Psychother. 2013;43(4):243–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-013-9243-y.