Beate Standal
Doctoral research fellow at the University of Bergen
I am a clinical psychologist specialised in adult mental health, with extensive experience from both primary and specialised care services. My interest in digital psychological interventions began in 2006 and has remained a central focus throughout my academic and professional journey. Despite strong evidence supporting digital treatments, I have often encountered challenges in initiating them in clinical practice—an issue that has sparked my curiosity and shaped my research interests. Currently, I am conducting qualitative research on the implementation of digital mental health interventions for anxiety and depression in specialised care. Based at the University of Bergen and affiliated with the Research Centre for Digital Mental Health Services (Forhelse), my work explores the underlying reasons why evidence-based digital tools are still not widely adopted in everyday clinical practice.
Tell us about your project!
This project investigates the factors shaping the implementation of digital interventions for anxiety and depression in specialised mental healthcare, using qualitative research methods. It focuses on how digital mental health treatment (DMHT) reconfigures the therapist’s role and how this transformation influences the adoption and use of such technologies. The project also explores healthcare professionals’ perceptions of DMHT’s clinical and organisational relevance, and how these views affect its integration into practice. Furthermore, it examines how narratives around patient motivation and self-governance—shared by both patients and professionals—interact with the implementation process. By addressing these interconnected dimensions, the project aims to deepen understanding of the challenges involved in implementing DMHT and to inform the development of more effective, context-sensitive strategies for its adoption in specialised care.
“This project investigates the factors shaping the implementation of digital interventions for anxiety and depression in specialised mental healthcare, using qualitative research methods”
— Beate Standal on her research project “Factors influencing the implementation of digital interventions for anxiety and depression in routine care: A qualitative exploration”