University of Edinburgh study advances understanding of the value of digital peer support
April 27 2023
A new major research study carried out by the University of Edinburgh shows that digital mental health support platforms have a role to play as part of integrated approaches to population health at local and national levels. The research was carried out over nine months in 2022 and was done in partnership with Togetherall.
The research was funded through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) accelerator programme with the aim of developing a model of how a Digital Mental Health peer-support platform works in practice and the benefits it can bring.
Angus Macbeth, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and the Principal Study Investigator said:
“We would like to thank Togetherall for collaborating with us on this important study. Without their help and support, we would not have gained the important insights we did both into the platform but also to wider considerations for digital mental health policy and practice.”
He added:
“The findings clearly show the value of a platform like Togetherall being part of a wider ecosystem of care and support, where it is embedded alongside or in addition to local mental health services. The platform helps to alleviate demand and provides additional support to mental health services, particularly by providing support when people are on waiting lists or in between visits to support services. We also found that the platform empowers people to access resources and manage their mental health independently from formal services.”
Dr Ben Locke, Chief Clinical Officer at Togetherall commented:
“This was a great study to be involved in as we gained a lot of insights into what we are doing well and what we need to improve on. What was very heartening was the key role played by our clinical moderators helping to keep the platform community vibrant, supported and safe. It is good to know that our 24/7 support was identified as safe, helpful and impactful.”
Henry Jones, CEO of Togetherall said:
“The research helps us in our mission to provide high quality moderated peer support to as wide a population as possible. We strongly believe we have a role to play as part of integrated local mental health systems and the findings bear that out. We are keen to play our role in providing additional and complementary supports to existing services. Particularly at this time of considerable challenge to mental health care service sin the UK. Digital mental health has an important role to play going forward.”
The research has a number of important findings for the future policy and practice of digital mental health and also key areas for future research.
For a more in-depth look at the study and its outcomes, the team at the University of the University of Edinburgh created a presentation. Click here to see it.
Click the button below to read the full study.
