BackgroundSince 2020, physicians and psychotherapists in Germany can prescribe digital
mental health services (dMHSs). However, even future healthcare
professionals (HCPs), such as medical and psychology students, remain
reluctant to use dMHSs, although they are a risk group for mental health
issues themselves. Reasons include scepticism and lacking awareness of
dMHSs, which can be addressed by acceptance-facilitating interventions
(AFIs) such as information strategies. To date, though, little is known
about their information needs.MethodsSemi-structured interviews withn= 21 students were
conducted between August and September 2021. Students of legal age studying
psychology or medicine at a German university could participate. Interview
recordings were transcribed verbatim and content-analyzed according to
Mayring, using deductive and inductive coding.ResultsMost students reported having little experience with dMHSs. Digital health
has barely been raised in their study, even though it was perceived as
crucial for personal needs as well as in preparation for their work as HCPs.
Students favoured receiving information on and recommendations for dMHSs
from their university via, e.g. social media or seminars. Among others,
information about data safety, scientific evidence base and application
scope were preferred. Additionally, information on costs as well as user
reviews seemed to be essential components of information strategies because
students were concerned that high costs or low usability would hinder
uptake.ConclusionsThe results give first insights on how future HCPs would like to be informed
on dMHSs. Future research should focus on systematic variations of AFIs'
components mimicking real-world decision scenarios to increase the adoption
of dMHSs.