A new online platform has launched what will be the most comprehensive digital health and mental health program for young Australians without relying on the convenience of artificial intelligence.
Supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund, Momentum provides Australians aged 7 to 17 with free access to treatments, tools and technology to address common mental health issues. doing.
First, we thoroughly assess your situation to determine the need for assistance. We then build a personalized program with sessions targeting topics related to the patient’s condition.
The platform allows users and their families to track their progress, see how their emotions change from session to session, and practice real-world skills using the program. .
The A$5 million ($3.2 million) project, led by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and a collaboration between six universities and six other health industry bodies, aims to improve mental health impacting Australian children and young people. It aims to address the growing crisis.
Almost 14% of young people in Australia are now said to have a mental illness, and around half of them are unsupported. This problem is expected to get worse because there aren’t enough experts around. The waiting list is reportedly long and can take up to 12 months.
To address growing medical staff shortages around the world, the industry is increasingly embracing digital technologies, especially AI tools that have proven to effectively complement care. Interestingly, the team behind Momentum avoided the AI boom when creating a self-help digital platform.
Mobi Health News We found out more about this decision in an interview with Momentum project leader and USQ professor Sonja March. She also shared some advice from years of developing digital tools for children and youth.
Q. How do you promote Momentum to young people? What kinds of partnerships have you considered?
A. We promote Momentum through several means. We are working closely with our partner organizations on this project to reach young people through their services. Our partners include Kids Helpline, West Moreton Health, Education Queensland, Stride, The Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network and Children’s Health Queensland. We work with these organizations to help them understand how they can introduce young people to the program and support them through this program. We have also created a number of children and youth resources and cards (postcards, flyers, wallet cards, etc.) for organizations to provide to young people. We will also disseminate this material through social media, as well as GPs, psychologists and schools. We’ll also work to integrate information about Momentum into other mental health sites like BeyondBlue, ReachOut, and parenting sites, as we’ve done previously with other programs.
Q. Have you considered incorporating gamification or other interactive methods to increase the adoption of your platform? What about leveraging chatbots or AI?
A. We’ve been building and testing online programs for 20 years, and we’ve explored a variety of options to make them interactive and engaging. We have found that there needs to be a balance between gamification and interactivity and making the program informative or educational. Young people can be easily distracted by the game, which can interfere with the techniques they are learning in the program. Our program includes easy rewards, allowing young people to earn badges as they progress through the program. Activities within the program are also interactive and include videos, quizzes, drag-and-drop tasks, and more, so young people don’t get bored just reading the material.
This program does not use chatbots or AI. The materials and decisions provided in this program are based on expert knowledge of what works for young people and what is needed to support their various challenges. There are still many unknowns about AI and chatbots, and younger generations need to approach them with caution. AI is everywhere, but some young people (especially children) may not understand that the AI is not actually talking to the person on the other end.
Q. How else can digital technology and online platforms help address the growing mental health crisis among young Australians?
A. We are also working on a project that uses digital technology to create new ways to identify and assess mental health – digital tools that do not require professional supervision. We hope these will help families identify potential problems early and receive support before things become serious or complicated. We’re also testing different ways to deliver online programs like Momentum. We are looking at a model of care based on Momentum that could provide support through phone calls, video conferencing, and even messaging. We recognize the need to be able to offer families a variety of options. One size does not fit all. Our hope is with Momentum that a program like this could be one option for him to receive support, especially for young people who cannot access support in other ways.
