WHEN: February 3, 2026 12:00 - 13.30 PM - CEST
ONLINE: Register here
The integration of technology into mental health services - referred to as digital mental health - has a robust research foundation and is increasingly adopted worldwide. However, its implementation in routine care often proves challenging, if not even unsuccessful.
A promising strategy to enhance the adoption and impact of digital tools in mental healthcare is the digital navigator. This professional or role within a mental health team aims to supports both patients and clinicians to better integrate technology into routine care. Digital navigators can pick up a wide range of tasks, for example improve digital literacy, recommend tailored tools, troubleshoot technical issues, and help interpret data from digital services and devices.
This contribution synthesizes the existing literature on the digital navigator, offering a narrative review of its functions and the evidence to date. Key studies exploring the implementation of digital navigators in routine care are highlighted, alongside findings from a (forthcoming) survey of psychologists across Europe. This survey investigates current digital mental health practices, perceived gaps in training, and the need for digital navigator roles to advance adoption.
The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the digital navigator’s potential benefits and challenges, offering insights into its value for enhancing mental health services through technology, as well as the road ahead.
About the speaker: Tom Van Daele is research coordinator of the Research line Psychology and technology at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. His work is predominantly practice-oriented and multidisciplinary: he educates students and clinicians on the use of technology, facilitates organizations with the integration and implementation of technologies within their services, and advices policy makers on how to (re)structure healthcare systems to accommodate these innovations. His practice-oriented focus is also supplemented with more basic research, through positions at both KU Leuven and Queen’s University Belfast.