Healthcare Providers’ Awareness and Practice on Electronic Mental Health Interventions for Depression and its’ Utilization Barriers

Introduction: E-mental health interventions can be effective in the early diagnosis and treatment of mental problems such as depression. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the awareness and practice of health care providers on E-mental health interventions and its’ utilization barriers. Method: This descriptive study was conducted in Kerman in 2018. The research population consisted of family physicians, psychologists and health care providers in health care centers who were selected through systematic random sampling. Data collection tool was a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire consisting of two parts of demographic questions and items related to awareness, usage, and barriers of using E-mental health interventions. Spearman, Kendall, and Chi square tests were used to analyze the data. Results: A total number of 143 people participated in this study of whom, 69% had not used E-mental health interventions so far and only 9% had been trained in these interventions. In regard to E-mental health interventions, psychological training (24%) and peers’ support by using online discussion forums (17%) gained the highest rates of use among participants and in regard to barriers of implementing and using these interventions, clinical risks (97%) and unwillingness of patient and physician in using electronic interventions (88%) gained the highest rates. Conclusion: In general, health care providers’ awareness and practice on E-mental health interventions were low. Therefore, identifying and prioritizing these barriers can help to enhance the capabilities of these technologies and to promote their use.