Telepsychiatry · AI · mHealth · Implementation · Education
Digital Mental Health brings together telepsychiatry, artificial intelligence, mHealth and other digital technologies used to improve access, quality and effectiveness of mental healthcare.
My work has evolved from early telepsychiatry and transcultural cross-border care to the responsible clinical implementation of AI and other digital technologies.
As Chair of the WPA Digital Mental Health Section, I focus on evidence, implementation, ethics, equity, education and international collaboration.
TELEPSYCHIATRY
Clinical use of videoconferencing and hybrid models to improve access, continuity and quality of psychiatric care.
AI IN PSYCHIATRY
Responsible clinical use of artificial intelligence, with attention to evidence, human oversight, safety and trust.
mHEALTH & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Mobile and connected technologies that support assessment, treatment, monitoring and communication.
TRANSCULTURAL & CROSS-BORDER CARE
Digital models that reduce geographical, linguistic and cultural barriers to mental healthcare.
ETHICS, SAFETY & IMPLEMENTATION
Patient safety, privacy, clinical responsibility, equity and sustainable integration into real healthcare systems.
DIGITAL PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION
Competencies in telepsychiatry, AI, mHealth, ethics and implementation for medical students, residents and professionals.
FROM TELEPSYCHIATRY TO DIGITAL MENTAL HEALTH
My work in digital mental healthcare began with telepsychiatry and the development of models designed to overcome geographical, linguistic and cultural barriers to care.
In 2004–2005, I developed and implemented a transcultural telepsychiatry model in Denmark. In 2006, this was extended across national borders through a Denmark–Sweden service based on direct language and cultural matching.
Over time, the field expanded far beyond video consultations. Today, Digital Mental Health includes telepsychiatry, AI, mHealth, digital clinical workflows, implementation science, ethics, safety, equity and education.
Technology should not replace clinical responsibility. Its value lies in helping clinicians provide safer, more accessible and more person-centred mental healthcare.
SELECTED GUIDELINES & BOOKS
e-Mental Health
Springer, 2016
WPA Telepsychiatry Global Guidelines
2021; comprehensive update published 2024
Digital Mental Health: The Future is Now
Springer Nature, 2025
Current work on the WPA Guideline on mHealth, AI & Digital Technologies
Forthcoming
ARTICLES & INSIGHTS
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(Potential) Disadvantages of Telepsychiatry
Although telepsychiatry has many advantages, it is important to also discuss its limitations and potential disadvantages. No method of treatment is perfect, and telepsychiatry is no exception. The goal is not to… -
Advantages / Benefits of Telepsychiatry
Telepsychiatry is not just a technical possibility to conduct a consultation through a screen. Its greatest value lies in the fact that it changes the accessibility of psychiatric care and the way… -
A brief history of telepsychiatry
Telepsychiatry, a specialized branch of telemedicine, refers to the use of telecommunications technology to provide psychiatric assessment, consultation, and treatment at a distance. Its development reflects broader technological advances, as well as… -
Return to the “old normal” and the future of psychiatry
The first in-person World Annual Congress in 2 years was held in Bangkok, in August when it’s not really the perfect timing to visit the tropics. After several years of virtual conferences,… -
Telepsychiatry and how we came to it
”Telepsychiatry is the use of videoconferencing for the provision of mental health care. It primarily uses internet- based communication technologies to allow for interactivity, with offline options less frequent in clinical practice.… -
What is your name again? Telepathy?
Writing about telepsychiatry today, and not mentioning the pioneers, would be, above all, a reflection of the lack education, general culture and even the mandatory respect for the profession to which I…
DIGITAL PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION
Digital technologies are changing psychiatric practice faster than formal medical education can often adapt.
A growing part of my work focuses on the development of Digital Psychiatry education for medical students, psychiatry residents and mental health professionals, including telepsychiatry, AI, mHealth, digital ethics, patient safety and implementation.
COLLABORATION, TEACHING & SPEAKING
I welcome collaboration with universities, healthcare organisations, researchers and professional societies in Digital Mental Health, telepsychiatry, AI, mHealth, education, guideline development and cross-cultural digital care.
Available for university teaching, curriculum development, invited lectures, scientific collaboration, advisory work and international projects.