Résumé :
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This paper provides an overview of the development and current status of digital mental health in Ireland. It will present the results of the work carried out on this topic as part of Interreg Europe’s eMEN project. This charts the trajectory of digital mental health developments in Ireland across three phases: pre-, mid-, and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic hit, the field of digital mental health was gradually growing through a combination of bottom-up and top-down activities. The pandemic triggered a rapid shift to the online provision of mental health services, which often involved remote consultations via video platforms. As we come out of the pandemic, the focus has shifted to consolidating these pandemic-driven changes, as well as continuing to build on existing initiatives. This article outlines the key elements of each phase, as well discussing certain key issues that should be factored into healthcare policies and provision. These include quality assurance frameworks designed to cover a range of digital mental health applications, as well as new ontological frameworks to characterize the emerging ecosystem of technology-based care in the post-pandemic “new normal”.
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