Category: Disaster Mental Health
Alison Darcy, Ph.D.
Founder & President
Woebot Health
San Francisco, California
Athena Robinson, Ph.D.
Chief Clinical Officer
Woebot Health
San Francisco, California
Carolyn Greene, Ph.D.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas
Andrew Kirvin-Quamme, B.A.
Woebot Health
Leadville, Colorado
Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
Athena Robinson, Ph.D.
Chief Clinical Officer
Woebot Health
San Francisco, California
Toluwalase Ajayi, M.D.
Scripps Research Translational Institute
La Jolla, California
Terika McCall, M.P.H., Ph.D., Other
Postdoctoral Fellow
Yale School of Public Health
New Haven, Connecticut
Digital mental health interventions have the opportunity to address disparities in mental health care accessibility as well as improve inclusion of members of groups historically underrepresented in biomedical research. They also are poised to address the current state of emergency in mental health needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated pre-existing disparities in marginalized populations. This symposium presents a collection of abstracts showcasing research endeavors toward understanding and improving diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in evidence-based digital mental health intervention research. The symposium will cover topics such as methodological considerations for assessment of participant demographics and self-identity characteristics; recruitment and randomization procedures to ensure participants from marginalized groups are included in study samples; higher baseline levels of clinical symptomatology among sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) compared to their non-SGMY peers; considerations of evidence-based product content adaptations for marginalized populations; and efforts to teach the current and next generation of health equity researchers. Health equity research is paramount to acknowledging and addressing ongoing disparities in mental health care. The symposium’s unique combination of clinicians and researchers from industry and academia will highlight diverse perspectives on current DEIB initiatives and future directions for advancing DEIB in the digital mental health field. Together these efforts also aim to address how digital mental health interventions can be used to address cognitive behavioral changes as well as increase resilience in a time highlighted by emergency and disaster. Learning Objectives:
Presenter: Andrew Kirvin-Quamme, B.A. – Woebot Health
Co-Author: Jennifer Kissinger, B.A. – Woebot Health
Co-Author: Laurel Quinlan, B.A.
Co-Author: Paul Wicks, PhD – Wicks Digital Health
Co-Author: Alison Darcy, Ph.D. – Woebot Health
Co-Author: Carolyn J. Greene, Ph.D. – University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Co-author: Athena Robinson, Ph.D. – Woebot Health
Presenter: Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, Ph.D. – Washington University in St. Louis
Co-author: Hannah Szlyk, LCSW, PhD – Washington University School of Medicine
Co-author: Erin Kasson, MS, MSW – Washington University School of Medicine
Co-author: Xiao Li, MS – Washington University School of Medicine
Presenter: Athena Robinson, Ph.D. – Woebot Health
Co-author: Stephanie Eaneff, MSP – Woebot health
Co-author: Alison Darcy, Ph.D. – Woebot Health
Presenter: Toluwalase Ajayi, M.D. – Scripps Research Translational Institute
Co-author: Edward Ramos, PhD – eramos@scripps.edu
Co-author: Katie Baca-Motes, MBA – Scripps Research Translational Institute
Co-author: Athena Robinson, Ph.D. – Woebot Health
Co-author: Emily Durden, PhD – Woebot Health
Presenter: Terika McCall, M.P.H., Ph.D., Other – Yale School of Public Health