Digital Mental Health Interventions for the Detection and Treatment of Depression

Thesis (BA/MA)

Advisor(s): Maximilian Schumergruber (maximilian.schumergruber@tum.de)/ Philipp Reindl-Spanner (philipp.spanner@tum.de) 

CONTEXT

With an ageing society and the increasing prevalence of multimorbidity (two or more chronic conditions occurring simultaneously in a patient), the prevalence of mental illness and depression is increasing. General practitioners (GPs) play an important role in the care of patients with depression, as they are responsible for the initial diagnosis and treatment. Recognizing and treating depression presents particular challenges for GPs. Somatic comorbidities (the presence of one or more additional conditions with a primary condition in a patient) can mask depression and make it difficult to select and implement appropriate therapy, compromising both the success of therapy and the safety of depression treatment.

The main aim of this study is to find ways of supporting GPs and patients through the use of IT systems to improve the diagnosis and treatment of depression. This raises a number of questions that can be addressed in the thesis. What is the current state of the scientific literature on this topic? What are current IT-based solutions for monitoring patients' mental health? Who are the stakeholders in a digital patient-provider environment? What are the factors that influence the successful integration of a digital mental health intervention into routine care?

These and similar questions can serve as the basis for your thesis (BA/MA/Guided Research). The activities involved in preparing the thesis include literature review, formulating research questions, conducting research, deriving findings, and creating and evaluating digital artefacts.

TASK(S)

Literature analysis, qualitative analysis (interviews, case study research etc.) or quantitative analysis (survey research, archive data, public data, etc.).

REQUIREMENTS

• High degree of autonomy and responsibility
• Interest in current IS topics with a focus on medicine, psychology, and psychiatry
• Experience in & willingness to learn about scientific writing
• Structured, reliable & self-motivated work style

FURTHER INFORMATION

The thesis can be written in English or German. The topic can also be adapted to your interests. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Please send your application including our specific application form, a current transcript of records and your CV to maximilian.schumergruber@tum.de. Please also note that we can only consider applications with complete documents.