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ViewAttendees 2

Symposia

Dissemination & Implementation Science

Session: Strategies to incorporate community partners' perspectives from design to implementation

2 - (SYM 59) Free, Online Mental Health Resources Nominated by Mental Health Professionals

Saturday, November 18, 2023
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PST
Location: Quinault, Level 5
The development of free, online, evidence-based resources (e.g., factsheets about depression) to improve the general public’s mental health literacy is outpacing the dissemination of those resources. In response to this issue, researchers have started to create repositories of high-quality resources that can fit the needs of the general public. However, it is unclear what types of resources that mental health professionals believe would be helpful. The current study aimed to (a) characterize resources nominated by mental health professionals and (b) explore if mental health professionals’ education, expertise, and professional activities (e.g., research, clinical work) predicted the topic and content of nominated resources. Mental health professionals (N = 51) were recruited from professional listservs and academic institutions to nominate mental health resources that they believed would be helpful for the general public. Nominated resources were screened to ensure they were free, online, and evidence-based and coded to determine their primary topic (e.g., depression, anxiety) and type of content covered (e.g., information about problems, information about treatment). Mental health professionals had a range of degrees (39% doctorate, 29% bachelor's), worked in research and clinical settings (48%), and reported above average expertise in various mental health topics. They nominated resources on various topics (e.g., 29% general mental health, 16% post-traumatic stress disorder). Nominated resources provided links to more resources (46%) and information about treatments (43%). Mental health professionals with less advanced degrees were more likely to nominate resources covering bipolar disorder (B = 3.34, SE = 1.35, p < .02) and post-traumatic stress disorder (B = 0.78, SE = .38, p < .05). Mental health professionals with greater expertise were more likely to nominate resources covering bipolar disorder (B = 5.02, SE = 2.32, p < .04), post-traumatic stress disorder (B = 2.73, SE = .76, p < .001), and substance use disorder (B = 3.65, SE = 1.34, p < .007). The expertise, education, and professional activities of mental health professionals did not predict variations in resource content or whether resources were free, online, or evidence based. Findings show how mental health professional’s expertise and education may influence the resources that they recommend to the general public. Implications of these findings on efforts to disseminate mental health information and to solicit professionals’ feedback will be further discussed.