Towards a Socio-Technical Ecosystem for Mental Health and Wellbeing Screening and Promotion

Abstract

This concept paper delineates the design of a sociotechnical ecosystem for ethical screening and promotion of mental health and well-being, building on the convergence of digital technologies with modern human-centered design methods. Access to individuals’ health and well-being data will enable the generation of actionable insights with different degrees of granularity, for the benefit of individuals, care providers, and business organizations. Critical to the success of the ecosystem are the proactive involvement of all stakeholders, the definition of incentives to encourage engagement, and the promotion of consistent narratives as public institutional messages. The article posits working hypotheses, including the idea that creative externalization of health and well-being data, augmented by advanced physico-digital interactivity, can sustain positive psychological and behavioral change. The theoretical underpinning consists of the integration of existing frameworks across well-being, behavior change, and sustainable business. The article defines a research agenda for expanding socially inclusive dialogue on data governance and policy implications.