Digital psychiatry can expand access to care—but it also risks deepening inequities for low-income, minority, and digitally excluded groups. This session will explore how to recognize and address bias, stigma, and digital exclusion, while providing tools for evaluating mental health apps and communicating with patients about their risks and benefits. Participants will also learn how mental health professionals can shape policy and standards to ensure equity in the digital era.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss how digital mental health tools may widen disparities for low-income, minority, or digitally excluded groups.
- Recognize how digital psychiatry tools can inadvertently perpetuate stigma, bias, or structural harm, especially among individuals with substance use disorders.
- Evaluate the impact of digital exclusion including lack of literacy, access, or accommodation for serious mental illness or disability, on psychiatric diagnosis, treatment, and social support.
- Develop patient-centered communication strategies to explain the risks and benefits of digital mental health tools, especially for patients with limited digital access or health literacy.
- Utilize the APA’s Mental Health Evaluation Model to evaluate digital mental health apps for use with patients.
- Identify opportunities for mental health professionals to contribute to policy, standards development, and public education around digital psychiatry.
Target Audience
Medical Students, Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists, non-psychiatrist Physicians, Psychologists, Social Workers, Peer Specialists, Nurses, and other mental health professionals
Format
Recorded webinar.
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.0 hour
Program Start Date: December 9, 2025
Program End Date: December 9, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may do so after completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by American Psychiatric Association (APA) and APA DDHE. APA is jointly accredited by the American Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Planning Committee and Faculty Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME'sStandards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Faculty/Presenters:
- Darlene King, MD.
- John Torous, MD.
- Theresa Miskimen, MD.
Planners:
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This website requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance