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Decentralized mental health services could be the answer to the looming shortage of mental health professionals, according to professors from John Hopkins University based in Baltimore.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Cointelegraph, Dr. Johannes Thrul from the John Hopkins School of Mental Health\u00a0postulated<\/a> that the mental health support sector could take a page from Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) by offering support services in a decentralized system.<\/p>\n Dr. Thrul authored a July 22 academic paper looking into \u201cWeb3 and digital mental health<\/a>,” envisioning\u00a0a decentralized peer support system that relies on \u201cindividuals with lived experience\u201d to provide help \u201cbased on their expertise in managing their own conditions.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Thrul said the system would work by using a \u201ccrypto token tied to the community\u201d which would be rewarded to those that \u201cmake positive contributions to the community,\u201d such as helping someone overcome a mental health issue in a peer support enviroment. <\/p>\n During a time when I find myself worried and anxious about the state of the world, it was fun to work on this genuinely positive and uplifting opinion article on the potential of web3 and online peer support for mental health. https:\/\/t.co\/rEngiaOL3S<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Johannes Thrul (@drjthrul) July 22, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n He said the system would not be bound to \u201cborder restrictions\u201d noting how quickly governments adapted to remote delivery of health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, though he admitted it could not replace the mainstream medical system alone.\u00a0Instead, it could be used to supplement seeing a traditional psychologist.<\/p>\n Another professor who contributed to the academic paper, Dr. Luke Kalb said a decentralized peer support system will provide more flexibility and freedom to how we approach mental health issues<\/a>, stating:<\/p>\n \u201c[The] community can come up with their own creative ways to tackle problems [\u2026] this peer support system opens up to so many opportunities for creativity.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The professors noted that such a system may become essential in the future given the likelihood of a shortage of traditional mental health services in the future with \u201c61% of practicing psychiatrists in the U.S. are nearing retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: <\/em><\/strong>Mental health and crypto: How does volatility effect well-being?<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The paper also cited research by The Department of Health and Human Services which projects \u201ca protracted national workforce shortage<\/a> in all mental health professionals by 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the professors have just begun the early stages of research, they are hoping to start building the necessary professional relationships to see this happen. Dr. Thrul said, \u201cit\u2019s tough finding the right technical partnership with the same shared vision [\u2026] however we want to put this out there and as a call to read, rally, and reach out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n