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Beyond counting clicks: rethinking engagement in digital mental health

Beyond counting clicks: rethinking engagement in digital mental health
Beyond counting clicks: rethinking engagement in digital mental health
User engagement remains a challenge in digital mental health. This editorial reconsiders engagement as a process rather than an outcome, introducing a four-step model to define, measure and link engagement to outcomes. The approach promotes standardisation, interpretability and scalability, advancing the science and implementation of digital health interventions.
apps, Engagement, medical technology, mental health, smartphones
0007-1250
Cipriani, Andrea
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Ward, Thomas
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Lambe, Sinéad
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Ostinelli, Edoardo G.
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Blease, Charlotte
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Gant, Thomas
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Gold, Stefan M.
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Holmes, Emily A.
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Paccoud, Ivana
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Vinnikova, Anastasia
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Klucken, Jochen
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Uhlhaas, Peter J.
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Garcia Sanchez, Carolina
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Haining, Kate
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Böge, Kerem
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Lahutina, Sofiia
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Tomelleri, Luisa
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Ryan, Sean
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Smith, Katharine
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Torous, John
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Cipriani, Andrea
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Ward, Thomas
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Lambe, Sinéad
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Ostinelli, Edoardo G.
b15d5b1f-8ad4-4f3b-ba0b-3fb55b536b4d
Blease, Charlotte
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Gant, Thomas
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Gold, Stefan M.
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Holmes, Emily A.
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Paccoud, Ivana
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Vinnikova, Anastasia
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Klucken, Jochen
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Uhlhaas, Peter J.
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Garcia Sanchez, Carolina
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Haining, Kate
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Böge, Kerem
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Lahutina, Sofiia
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Tomelleri, Luisa
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Ryan, Sean
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Smith, Katharine
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Torous, John
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Cipriani, Andrea, Ward, Thomas, Lambe, Sinéad, Ostinelli, Edoardo G., Blease, Charlotte, Gant, Thomas, Gold, Stefan M., Holmes, Emily A., Paccoud, Ivana, Vinnikova, Anastasia, Klucken, Jochen, Uhlhaas, Peter J., Garcia Sanchez, Carolina, Haining, Kate, Böge, Kerem, Lahutina, Sofiia, Tomelleri, Luisa, Ryan, Sean, Smith, Katharine and Torous, John (2025) Beyond counting clicks: rethinking engagement in digital mental health. British Journal of Psychiatry. (doi:10.1192/bjp.2025.10485).

Record type: Review

Abstract

User engagement remains a challenge in digital mental health. This editorial reconsiders engagement as a process rather than an outcome, introducing a four-step model to define, measure and link engagement to outcomes. The approach promotes standardisation, interpretability and scalability, advancing the science and implementation of digital health interventions.

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Accepted/In Press date: 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 24 November 2025
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Keywords: apps, Engagement, medical technology, mental health, smartphones
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Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 508448
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508448
DOI: doi:10.1192/bjp.2025.10485
ISSN: 0007-1250
PURE UUID: be685875-71ef-4c7d-86a5-cb1d05276a0e
ORCID for Emily A. Holmes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7319-3112

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 21 Jan 2026 17:55
Last modified: 22 Jan 2026 03:10

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Contributors

Author: Andrea Cipriani
Author: Thomas Ward
Author: Sinéad Lambe
Author: Edoardo G. Ostinelli
Author: Charlotte Blease
Author: Thomas Gant
Author: Stefan M. Gold
Author: Emily A. Holmes ORCID iD
Author: Ivana Paccoud
Author: Anastasia Vinnikova
Author: Jochen Klucken
Author: Peter J. Uhlhaas
Author: Carolina Garcia Sanchez
Author: Kate Haining
Author: Kerem Böge
Author: Sofiia Lahutina
Author: Luisa Tomelleri
Author: Sean Ryan
Author: Katharine Smith
Author: John Torous

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