Canada and China team up on new text-based mental health project
Canada is hoping to use technology to create efficient and timely access to mental health treatment. As part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Canada and China have offered to fund the beginning stages of a five-year project called EMBED. A press release from the Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) states that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China have put forward a $2.15 million grant.
What exactly the EMBED project will look like is up in the air right now. The MDSC press release suggests that apps, text messaging, and electronic medical records may be part of the solution. In an interview with The Ontarion, Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield stated that although “apps [are] part of it… we won’t know what [the solutions] are until we see what [EMBED is] delivering.” Longfield noted that the MDSC has been working for two years to lead the discussion about what this project could be, but there has been no funding until this point. He added that “this funding is just to start pulling everything together. Then proposals will have to come forward next year.” The first step is to do research on what online mental health help looks like. Longfield noted that more funds will be needed to build the infrastructure following the research stage.
The MDSC press release notes that some of the issues that Canada and other APEC countries are facing include a lack of resources and time to spend with patients, particularly in remote areas. In an interview with The Ontarion, Longfield noted that this project helps to solve those problems by creating an “ease of accessing services in real time without having to make appointments,” as well as “meeting somebody on their preferred way of being met.” Longfield stated that this initiative is for “anybody that uses mobile devices,” but that “youth mental health is one area of concern.” He also stated that this project will be beneficial for those with accessibility issues and people in remote locations. The program will speak to people “on their platform, versus having to move them into buildings,” stated Longfield, adding that they are aware of the problems, “but we’re trying to be innovative about working on them.”
Once research has determined how to best implement evidence-based programs around technology and mental health, it will be easier for similar programs to be developed worldwide. The implications of this project are potentially huge, as its intended scope is wide; APEC includes 21 countries, with a total population of 2.8 billion people.
Canada is taking a leadership role to improve mental health. In 2015, APEC created a digital hub to promote research on mental health. The hub is hosted in Canada by the University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, and MDSC. The hub allows for international best practices to be created.
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U of G Hackathon
Earlier this year, the University of Guelph held their annual hackathon using the topic of mental health. The hackathon asked students to create ideas to improve mental health supports using technology.
CBC and Guelph Today reported on some of the submissions, including a Tinder-style app called Proximity, for friends who can talk about mental health and a system identifying students who may be struggling through sudden changes in their grades. The winning submission was an app called Guelph Cares, which would connect experienced volunteers with students.
A lot of the ideas at the hackathon aimed to help students before they reach a crisis. The University of Guelph plans to work with some of the groups to develop their ideas so that they can be used on campus.
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Photo by Alora Griffiths/The Ontarion