Beyond counting clicks: rethinking engagement in digital mental health

2025/11/24 by Andrea Cipriani, Thomas Ward, Sinéad Lambe +17 · 5 citations
Psychology · Health Professions · Computer Science · #Digital Mental Health Interventions #Mental Health and Patient Involvement #Innovative Human-Technology Interaction

paper · pdf · doi:10.1192/bjp.2025.10485

Abstract

User engagement remains a challenge in digital mental health. This editorial reconsiders engagement as a process rather than an outcome, introducing a four-step model to define, measure and link engagement to outcomes. The approach promotes standardisation, interpretability and scalability, advancing the science and implementation of digital health interventions.

Cited by

• Patterns of Uptake, Engagement, and Attrition in Randomized Controlled Trials of Digital Interventions for Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
• Development of a supportive mHealth device for persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (KisoLight App ): a usability study within a participant-involvement principle. [europepmc]
• Patterns of Uptake, Engagement, and Attrition in Randomized Controlled Trials of Digital Interventions for Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. [europepmc]
• Guided internet-based treatment for anxiety and depression in Norwegian primary care: a randomized non-inferiority effectiveness trial. [europepmc]
• Integrating Data Visualizations Into Digital Mental Health Care for Adults With Anxiety and Depression: Participatory Design and Case Study. [europepmc]

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