2. Social Need
This article is part of a research study publication on Experience Design for PTSD. This section introduces the mental health care context in the UK and presents the case for innovation need in this area.
Anxiety and depression are a silent epidemic in modern society underlying many chronic diseases. The global burden of mental health conditions accounts to 10.5% of total diseases and is projected to increase by almost half to 15% in 2020. In the UK, the latest comprehensive survey shows that 23% of the population had at least one psychiatric disorder. These individuals are also twice as likely to be hospitalised compared to the UK general population amounting to 170 000 self-harm related accident and emergency attendances a year. This is a signal of the interrelatedness of mental and physiological conditions.
The pressing social need of increasing mental health issues is inadequately met by the current health care system which treats mental and physiological diseases as separate domains. This division results in incomplete and inefficient treatments costing the National Health Service (NHS) more than £11 billion a year. Effective treatments for most known mental conditions exist and are well documented, however, less than a third of the people in need of mental health care in the UK receive any of the treatment recommended by the The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
From economic point of view, mental health problems in the UK result in approximately 70 million sick days a year costing businesses £26 billion. These statistics show that mental issues account for a significant burden on societal and economic well-being. While monthly referrals to community mental health teams increased by 13% in 2013, investment in mental health services has fallen in real terms for three successive years driven by the British government’s target for efficiency saving of £22 billion. As a consequence, over 3800 mental health practitioners lost their positions. Despite a £450 million investment in reducing waiting times and increasing access to psychological therapies, at least 10% of patients wait over a year before receiving any form of treatment, and 50% waiting over 3 months. In compounded terms, the societal and economic costs of poor mental health in the UK are estimated at £105 billion a year. The simultaneous occurrence of such high cost of service with increasing demand for it is an indication of inefficiency in the the system of service delivery.
The effective reach of the current standard of MHC is also hindered by barriers such as the negative perception of needing mental help as well as low psychological literacy in the general public. 90% of people with mental health problems are affected by stigma and discrimination limiting their professional lives, social relationships, and in some cases leading to social isolation and suicide. This socio-cultural aspect is an example of the diverse factors contributing to the MHC inefficacy.
The statistical evidence for the surging demand for psychological services, the barriers to access and the limited resources to support them explains why the unmet societal need for mental health care is currently at an unprecedented level.
The advance in digital technology provides an alternative avenue for mental health care at scale. The next section provides an overview of the digital mental health context and critically discusses the advantages and disadvantages in detail.
