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Redefining virtual mental health services: youths’ perspectives and ideal features

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2025

E. Samari ,
J. A. Vaingankar ,
S. Chang ,
A. S ,
Y. C. Chua ,
C. Tang ,
Y. P. Lee ,
M. Subramaniam  and
S. Verma
E. Samari*
Affiliation:
Research Division
J. A. Vaingankar
Affiliation:
Research Division
S. Chang
Affiliation:
Research Division
A. S
Affiliation:
Research Division
Y. C. Chua
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis
C. Tang
Affiliation:
CHAT, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health, Institute of Mental Health
Y. P. Lee
Affiliation:
CHAT, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health, Institute of Mental Health
M. Subramaniam
Affiliation:
Research Division Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore
S. Verma
Affiliation:
Institute of Mental Health Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a significant shift in our approach to healthcare, leading to the widespread adoption of virtual healthcare services, including mental healthcare. In this context, understanding and incorporating the unique perspectives of youths is crucial for improving virtual mental health services for this population.

Objectives

This qualitative study explores the ideal features of virtual mental health services among youths.

Methods

Nine focus group discussions and eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with 65 individuals aged 15-35 in Singapore. To ensure the comprehensive representation of youths’ perspectives, participants from diverse ethnicities (mainly Chinese, Malay, and Indian), ages, and genders were included using purposive sampling. The data was analysed using content analysis through both inductive and deductive approaches.

Results

Four main themes were identified from the data. First, technology and platform: youths stressed the importance of a credible and government-endorsed service provider to deliver a comprehensive and trustworthy experience facilitated by qualified professionals. Second, functionality: they wanted credible affiliations to be displayed prominently on the home page and various tools such as calls, chats, moderated forums, profiles of healthcare professionals, and educational resources. Confidentiality, anonymity, and privacy were also highlighted as necessary. Third, user interface: youths preferred an intuitive and age-tailored interface to ensure a seamless and user-friendly experience, with organised content, appealing aesthetics, and engaging elements on video call sessions. Fourth, usability: they emphasised the need for an affordable and widely compatible operating system to promote accessibility of services.

Conclusions

Virtual mental health services, with their great potential, can expand and effectively meet the needs of youths. By prioritizing credible platforms, comprehensive functionality, confidentiality, an intuitive interface, and broad accessibility, we can enhance help-seeking among youths and create a more effective support system.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Information

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 68 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 33rd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2025 , pp. S205
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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