This scoping review explores how allied health professionals (AHPs), such as occupational therapists, social workers and physiotherapists, use digital technologies in public mental health interventions. This study aims to understand which technologies are used, their effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes and access to care and the barriers and facilitators influencing their integration.
The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A systematic search was conducted across four databases (Scopus, PubMed, Journal Storage and Emerald Insight) covering studies published from 2010 to 2024. Fourteen studies were included, spanning qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods designs and focusing on AHPs in public mental health contexts.
Digital technologies, particularly teletherapy and mobile health (mHealth) apps, were widely adopted to deliver flexible, remote and scalable interventions that enhanced access and supported symptom management. Flexibility refers to both the scheduling adaptability these tools provide, and the ability to tailor interventions to individual client needs. Most flexibility benefits were directed towards service users; however, AHPs also appreciated the autonomy in structuring care delivery. Positive attitudes towards technology and structured training programmes were critical facilitators for AHPs, while barriers included digital literacy gaps among clinicians and clients, data privacy concerns and infrastructure limitations, particularly in low-resource settings.
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to map the use of digital technologies specifically within AHP-led public mental health interventions, highlighting both underutilised opportunities and contextual barriers. It also identifies a substantial research gap in low- and middle-income countries and calls for more inclusive, global evaluations of digital mental health tools.
