Guidance on defining the scope and development of text-based coaching protocols for digital mental health interventions
Open accessAbstract
A body of literature suggests that the provision of human support improves both adherence to and clinical outcomes for digital mental health interventions. While multiple models of providing human support, or coaching, to support digital mental health interventions have been introduced, specific guidance on how to develop coaching protocols has been lacking. In this Education Piece, we provide guidance on developing coaching protocols for text-based communication in digital mental health interventions. Researchers and practitioners who are tasked with developing coaching protocols are prompted to consider the scope of coaching for the intervention, the selection and training of coaches, specific coaching techniques, how to structure communication with clients and how to monitor adherence to guidelines, and quality of coaching. Our goal is to advance thinking about the provision of human support in digital mental health interventions to inform stronger, more engaging, and effective intervention designs.
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Differences in eCoaches' previous experiences are minimised by using message templates and by the possibility to discuss with senior researchers.
“Further, the differences in previous experiences are minimised by using message templates and by the possibility to discuss with senior researchers (Lattie and Graham, 2019).”
From Internet-based treatment for vulvodynia (EMBLA) – Study protocol for a randomised controlled study (2021) · cites this paper as Lattie and Graham, 2019
The Coaching content section recommends message templates, and Coaching supervision and oversight recommends supervision and consultation with an experienced supervisor. The paper does not say these measures minimise differences in coaches’ previous experience; it instead says protocols and supervision should account for coaches’ backgrounds and training. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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- Authors
- Lattie, E. G., Graham, A. K., Hadjistavropoulos, H. D., Dear, B. F., Titov, N., & Mohr, D. C.
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (US)
- University of Regina (CA)
- Macquarie University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Lattie, Emily G
- ORCID
- Venue
- DIGITAL HEALTH
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2019-01
- Volume
- 5
- Pages
- 2055207619896145-2055207619896145
- ISSN
- 2055-2076 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6920342
- OpenAlex
- W2995060633
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 4.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Digital Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Saskatchewn Ministry of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health (K08 MH112878, R01 MH100492)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (152917)
- Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
- Sasktachewan Health Research Foundation
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K01 DK116925)
- Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
- Keywords
- digital mental health interventions, human support, coach education, coaching methods, intervention design
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