Background: Despite a recent proliferation in web-based and digital resources that are designed to assist users in finding appropriate mental health treatment and supportive services, it can be overwhelming, confusing, and difficult for an individual or family member to access and use an appropriate navigation tool. As digital resources are increasingly sought after, there is an urgent need for a clearer understanding of digital navigation tools in order to help link individuals with the tool that is best suited to their needs. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the needs of individuals seeking mental health treatment and supportive services and to quantify their experiences and satisfaction with available digital navigation tools. Methods: A survey was offered via an email newsletter and social media posting throughout the extended membership of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which includes both individuals with a mental health condition and their family members and support networks. A 13-item anonymous survey, which consisted of multiple-choice and open response options, was developed to measure participants’ past use of and experiences with web-based, mobile, and phone-based navigation tools. The survey was available from April 9 through May 21, 2020. Results: A total of 478 respondents completed the survey; the majority of respondents were female (397/478, 83.1%) and aged ≥35 years (411/478, 86%). Younger respondents were more likely to report seeking mental health services for themselves, while older respondents were more likely to be searching for such services on behalf of a family member. The majority of respondents seeking such services on behalf of a family member (113/194, 58.2%) required a combination of mental health treatment and supportive services. Furthermore, two-thirds of respondents (322/478, 67.4%) used a navigation tool to find treatment or services. The majority of respondents who provided feedback about their experiences with navigation tools (224/280, 80%) reported difficulties, with data availability and accuracy being the most commonly reported issues. Conclusions: The survey results suggest that issues with data availability and accuracy in available navigation tools remain a major barrier for locating timely and appropriate mental health treatment and supportive services within the population of individuals seeking such services. Particularly for individuals seeking care on behalf of a family member, improving the accuracy of and users’ experiences with navigation tools could have a major impact on effectively connecting people to treatment and support services.

中文翻译：

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用于心理健康治疗和支持服务的数字导航工具用户的需求和体验：调查研究

背景：尽管旨在帮助用户找到合适的心理健康治疗和支持服务的基于网络和数字资源最近激增，但个人或家庭成员可能难以获得和使用适当的心理健康治疗和支持服务导航工具。随着数字资源越来越受到追捧，迫切需要更清楚地了解数字导航工具，以帮助将个人与最适合其需求的工具联系起来。目标：本研究的目标是确定寻求心理健康治疗和支持服务的个人的需求，并量化他们对可用数字导航工具的体验和满意度。方法：一项调查是通过电子邮件通讯和社交媒体发布在全国精神疾病联盟的扩展成员中提供的，该联盟包括有精神健康状况的个人及其家庭成员和支持网络。开发了一项 13 项匿名调查，其中包括多项选择和开放响应选项，旨在衡量参与者过去对基于网络、移动和基于电话的导航工具的使用和体验。调查时间为 2020 年 4 月 9 日至 5 月 21 日。结果：共有 478 名受访者完成了调查；大多数受访者为女性 (397/478, 83.1%) 和 35 岁以上 (411/478, 86%)。年轻的受访者更有可能为自己寻求心理健康服务，而年长的受访者更有可能代表家庭成员寻求此类服务。大多数代表家庭成员寻求此类服务的受访者 (113/194, 58.2%) 需要心理健康治疗和支持服务相结合。此外，三分之二的受访者 (322/478, 67.4%) 使用导航工具寻找治疗或服务。大多数提供导航工具体验反馈的受访者 (224/280, 80%) 表示存在困难，数据可用性和准确性是最常见的问题。结论：调查结果表明，可用导航工具的数据可用性和准确性问题仍然是在寻求此类服务的人群中找到及时和适当的心理健康治疗和支持服务的主要障碍。特别是对于代表家庭成员寻求护理的个人而言，提高导航工具的准确性和用户体验可能会对有效地将人们与治疗和支持服务联系起来产生重大影响。