Navigating Virtual Options to Support Mental Wellness with Dr. AnnMarie Churchill

Mental health and wellness along with things like self-care have become commonplace topics on social media, the news and in other online sources.  We talk more openly about self-care and wellness at work, at school and in our families. All great things to reducing stigma around mental health problems and making sure people who need help can get it.

It does however present some challenges in effectively navigating the mental health and addictions system.  There are so many apps, sites, and tools available to us both online and in our communities as well.  Some come at a cost, some are free, how do we know which ones are reliable and which ones are effective?

According to an evaluation of mental health application published in May of 2021 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States, there are growing concerns over data sharing and clinical safety. A study on Assessment of the Data Sharing and Privacy Practices of Smartphone Apps for Depression and Smoking Cessation published in April 2019 on JAMA network open found that out of 36 top-ranked apps for smoking cessation and depression, 29 sent data to Facebook or Google, but only 12 apps mentioned this in their privacy policy. Another study of 61 mental health apps which was published in May of 2019 in the International Journal of law and psychiatry, found that 41% of the apps did not have a privacy policy at all.

In addition to an increase in online resources and supports, we are increasingly becoming aware that there are a number of informal ways to support our mental health which can include things like meditation, prayer, yoga, exercise, nature, among others.  Knowing what might be most helpful and effective in each unique situation could seem like an overwhelming task.

In this episode, we will explore navigating the options with these considerations in mind.  We are joined by Dr. AnnMarie Churchill who has over 25 years of experience in direct clinical practice in community, hospital, research and post-secondary mental health systems. AnnMarie is the Executive Director of Stepped Care Solutions and has worked as the lead clinical trainer and consultant on the SC2.0 Demonstration Project in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as SC2.0 implementations in the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia and post-secondary institutions across North America.

In addition to this role, AnnMarie is a clinical consultant on the Canadian Institute of Health Research grant to implement and evaluate the digitization of Stepped Care, a research fellow in SC2.0 at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and is leading Stepped Care Solutions in their role as a representative partner on the Government of Canada’s mental health response to COVID through the Wellness Together Canada portal. AnnMarie is co-author of the book Person-centered diagnosis and treatment in mental health.

Learn more about:

Stepped Care 2.0 

Wellness Together Canada

Stepped Care Solutions