Unmet mental health needs of young adults: scalable solutions

Young adulthood is a period of high risk for mental health disorders, which negatively impact interpersonal, academic and occupational functioning. Those impacts in turn contribute to further mental health problems. This cycle is exacerbated by social determinants such as food, housing and financial insecurities.

Even though effective treatments exist, only a minority of young adults seek mental health care and access to evidence-based approaches is limited. Digital mental health addresses some of the barriers, but is not a panacea for all mental health problems. The STAND (Screening and Treatment for Anxiety and Depression) Programme was developed as a integrated system of care, that triages young adults to either self-guided digital prevention programs, coach-guided and tailored digital CBT, or clinician-delivered evidence-based psychotherapy augmented by psychotropic medications as needed. Weekly symptom measurement using adaptive testing tools enables triaging to level of care, rapid adaptation of care as needed, and immediate management of suicidality. Symptom measurement is complemented by repeated assessment and management of basic food, housing and financial needs.

Join Professor Michelle Craske, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UCLA, in conversation with Professor Alan Stein, Senior Research Fellow in Global Health and Public Policy, Oxford for a seminar on the implementation and effectiveness of the STAND programme for young adults, as well as the challenges and novel strategies to improve uptake and retention.