RG Precision Digital Mental Health

Receiving the right support at exactly the right moment to strengthen mental health—digital applications make this possible. Founded in 2025, the working group develops solutions that can adapt to a person's current needs in real time.

Smartphones, smartwatches, and fitness trackers are constant companions in everyday life for many people. They collect high-resolution behavioral and health data such as sleep, activity, environment, and mood. So-called Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) use this data to detect early signs of stress or worsening symptoms and respond directly with appropriate content. Breathing exercises, positive visualization exercises, or activation tips can help in the respective situation.

The aim is to optimize JITAIs so that they adapt to a person's current needs in real time, collect only the data that is really needed, and thus create long-term effective, motivating, and practical support. In various studies, researchers are examining which measures work best for which individuals, in which context, and at what point in time. Findings from participatory co-design workshops, interviews with affected individuals, and machine learning are also being incorporated.

Another focus is on the question of how such digital solutions can be anchored in health care systems with different financial, cultural, and legal frameworks in the long term. Close cooperation with partners from research, health care, business, and civil society is intended to result in digital interventions that are scientifically sound, easily accessible, and widely usable. In this way, as many people as possible can benefit from tailored digital support for their mental health.