A Feasibility Study of a Smart Screening Tool for People at Risk of Mental Health Issues: Response Rate, and Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors

Background The use of Smart Screening tools to identify mental health problems has scarce empirical data on their effectiveness. This study aims to explore the response rate of patients to this tool and observe their socio-demographic and healthcare characteristics, and the tool's ability to detect potential mental health diagnoses. Methods The study employed an online survey within patient portal from patients of four teaching hospitals in Madrid. The sample included 8749 patients, comprising 66.77 % females and 31.21 % middle-aged adults. Results 60.56 % responded to the Smart Screening tool. Respondents were found to be predominantly middle-aged women who had been contacted by mental health services multiple times but had not exhibited suicidal behaviour. These patients demonstrated a higher appointment attendance rate and generated low healthcare costs. The tool identified probable low depression and mild anxiety (72.16 %), and individuals aged 50–65 exhibited higher levels of mental health problems, such as psychosis and suicidality, although these results were not all significant regarding previous mental health diagnoses. Limitations The Smart Screening tool collects anonymous online data through short questionnaires to apply sophisticated algorithms and determine probable mental health diagnoses. Conclusions The response rate to the Smart Screening tool was higher than in previous studies. The respondents' profile was middle-aged and older women with moderate mental health problems, although suicidality was also identified. Future research should focus on those who did not respond to the tool and explore the link between previous psychiatric diagnoses and the accuracy of the Smart Screening tool.