Kajol Sharma Role of Digital Technologies in Youth Mental Health: A Scoping Review

Abstrakt

Introduction: Young adults aged 15–25 experience a critical developmental period marked by academic pressure, identity formation, and emotional transitions that heighten vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders. As digital technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday life, they provide accessible, scalable, and cost-effective tools for mental health support. This scoping review synthesises global empirical evidence on digital mental-health interventions for young people, while also incorporating contextual insights to illustrate cultural, technological, and policy differences in implementation.

Material and Methods: This study was conducted as a scoping review to map the range, characteristics, and types of digital mental-health interventions available for young people, rather than to evaluate intervention effectiveness or perform a meta-analysis. A scoping review approach was considered appropriate given the heterogeneity in study designs, digital platforms, intervention formats, outcome measures, and cultural contexts represented in the existing literature. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. A structured search of electronic databases and institutional repositories was carried out to identify studies published between 2015 and 2025. Search terms included combinations of keywords related to digital mental-health interventions, young people, teletherapy, mobile applications, online support, and psychological well-being. Studies were included if they reported empirical findings on digital mental-health interventions involving adolescents or young adults aged 15–25 years. Studies were excluded if they focused exclusively on adult or older populations, lacked empirical data, or did not address mental-health outcomes. Titles and abstracts were screened for relevance, followed by full-text assessment to determine final eligibility. In total, 10 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed with respect to study design, digital intervention formats, and mental-health outcomes. The studies reflect global and cross-cultural evidence, as no eligible empirical studies were identified from India; India-specific insights are drawn from contextual and policy-oriented literature. Conclusions: Digital technologies show strong potential to complement traditional mental-health care and promote psychological well-being among young people. Their accessibility, affordability, and adaptability make them valuable tools for prevention and early intervention. However, further cross-cultural research on long-term effectiveness, data privacy, and culturally adapted design is essential to maximise impact and ensure equitable access, particularly in diverse cultural and resource-specific contexts.