Social connection is the key for engaging young people with digital mental health interventions

As many are acutely aware, mental health services are increasingly unable to keep up with the growing demand for support, particularly within child and adolescent mental health services. It has been widely suggested that digital platforms offer potential to alleviate at least some of this pressure by providing access to interventions at scale and at lower cost compared to traditional in-person care. We are now seeing an unprecedented rise in the number and diversity of platforms available.

Evidence suggests that digital platforms can be just as effective as in-person care. Perhaps unsurprisingly, individuals who engage more with these platforms tend to experience better mental health outcomes than those who…