The World Health Organisation conceptualises health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Central to this is the principle that there is no health without mental health. Mental disorders are health conditions defined by the experiencing of distressing psychological symptoms, to the extent that normal functioning is impaired and some form of help is needed for recovery. The Global Burden of Disease Study has found that mental health difficulties are a leading cause of disability worldwide, accounting for 13% of all lost years of healthy life, rising to 23% in high income countries. A closer examination reveals that young people aged 10–24 represent 27% of the world’s population within which mental health disorders are the leading cause of disability, with 50% of mental disorders have emerged by age 14 and 75% present before 24 years of age. Unfortunately, international studies also conclude that most young people experiencing mental health difficulties do not receive appropriate specialist treatment. Reflecting this challenge new strategies for the prevention and treatment of mental health problems of young people has become a core objective of international healthcare policy.
TEAM brings together an interdisciplinary network of mental health experts, computer scientists, designers and policy experts. The overall objective is to train a new generation of researchers who can help to deliver more effective, more affordable and more accessible mental health services for young people. The focus is on the design, development and evaluation of new technology-enabled mental health services.
The program hadfour key research objectives (RO):
RO1: Development of automated, technology-enabled assessment tools for improved early diagnosis and intelligent on-going assessment of mental-health difficulties in young people.
RO2: Design of technology-enabled programs that help to prevent mental health difficulties by empowering young people and helping to build resilience and care for their own mental health, thus reducing the incidence of mental health difficulties.
RO3: Development of technology-enabled tools that support improved access to effective, engaging and evidence-based treatments that are adaptable and involve a wider range of care providers.
RO4: Investigation of key policy areas in relation to the delivery of technology-enabled mental health, including shared decision-making, open data and legal and ethical frameworks.
In achieving these objectives TEAM has delivered innovative technologies and policies that enable early assessment, prevention, and treatment of mental health difficulties in young people.
