Digital futures in mind: Why lived experience collaboration must guide digital mental health technologies

Abstract

Digital mental health technologies and services are here. More are coming. Such technologies and services present both risks and opportunities. At their best, they may enhance the most humane, communal and caring parts of our social systems and communities. At their worst, they may reinforce reductionist approaches to distress and crisis, increase surveillance and control, as well as extracting data and wealth from people seeking care. In this paper, we argue that lived experience-led governance and collaborative development of these technologies and services will enhance the best opportunities and mitigate against the biggest risks. This paper provides a commentary emerging from work by aut..