Leading the charge for access to virtual depression services

Even two years after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for remote access to health care services continues to grow. 

In response to this pressing need, last November, the Government of Ontario released new recommendations for virtual care for depression and anxiety-related conditions, a project for which Dr. Benicio Frey, program lead of the Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression (CAN-BIND), an OBI Integrated Discovery Program, provided expertise and leadership.  

According to Ontario Health, the guideline for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Depression and Anxiety-Related Conditions was developed with advice from an expert panel and is intended to support clinicians in their decision-making around the virtual delivery of mental health care to people living with depression and anxiety-related conditions.

“My experience on this project was well aligned with CAN-BIND's work on our ENABLE platform, which connects clinicians with patients interested in participating in clinical trials on mood disorders,” said Dr. Frey.

Work on the virtual care guideline is not the first time that CAN-BIND researchers have been on the forefront of making sure that people with depression and anxiety have access to the most appropriate technology for their specific situations. Results of a CAN-BIND study, conducted in collaboration with Janssen R&D (now Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine), were published in Nature Scientific Reports in October. During the 12-month study, by tracking participants’ daily activity patterns using wearable devices, researchers found a digital biomarker – or data pointing to a common possible indicator – that predicts relapse in depression.

Dr. Frey noted that “interestingly, the digital signal occurs two to three weeks before the depression relapse, which would give clinicians time to act and prevent relapse in these individuals.”  Moreover, being aware of when a condition may recur would allow a person to seek help quickly, creating a positive impact on their lives and providing a new perspective for the use of digital health tools.

Similarly, access to remote care services remain a priority of CAN-BIND’s Community Advisory Committee, recently revitalized with new members and varied perspectives from across the country. For example, earlier this year, CAN-BIND led a well-attended session, organized in partnership with Hope + Me, called the Helpful Apps and Websites Workshop.

Andrew Kcomt, a member of the Community Advisory Committee as well as Hope + Me’s Knowledge Translation and Research Manager, explained that the session was designed to help individuals make informed choices about e-mental health tools and provided reliable resources for choosing the right one.

“Mental health apps and websites can be effective and complementary to traditional face-to-face care by enhancing help-seeking behaviour and providing immediate treatment,’ he said. “Although such digital tools are widely promoted, little training exists on how to use them.”

At the workshop, Mr. Kcomt and colleagues looked at how digital tools such as by Happify, MoodFx, Headspace, and Smiling Mind stack up in terms of cost, accessibility, discretion and anonymity, and being evidence-based. However, they suggested that technology users should consult with their healthcare provider as well as supplement digital app use with traditional treatment methods that have already proven successful.

Over 95 per cent of the 113 attendees reported overall high satisfaction with the event. “The presentation was very informative,” said one participant.

“It's great when professionals and researchers provide opportunities for the community/public to share knowledge and keep us informed of tools out there. It can be overwhelming trying to find them on our own, and we don't know what is credible.”

- Helpful Apps and Websites Workshop participant​