In this session, Dr. Katharine Smith, MD PhD, a psychiatrist and clinical academic at the University of Oxford, will explore the current challenges and future opportunities in digital mental health care for individuals with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. Drawing on the latest findings from an international consensus group, Dr. Smith will discuss the key barriers to digital health solutions, including issues of accessibility, ethics, and the gaps in current provisions. She will also highlight promising areas for future research and clinical implementation, offering actionable insights for improving access to mental health care for this underserved population.

Dr. Katharine Smith is a psychiatrist and clinical academic at the University of Oxford, where she is the Clinical Lead at the Oxford Health Clinical Research Facility. Her research focuses on precision mental health, evidence synthesis, and digital mental health interventions for severe mental illness. Dr. Smith has led multiple studies on telepsychiatry, online mental health resources, and digital tools aimed at improving care for individuals with severe psychiatric conditions. She is also involved in pioneering research on novel depression treatments, including psychedelics, and plays a key role in the Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab. Through her work, Dr. Smith strives to enhance mental health care accessibility and contribute to innovative solutions for some of the most challenging areas in psychiatry. Read the full paper: https://mental.jmir.org/2024/1/e57155