Background The use of social robots as innovative therapeutic tools has been increasingly explored in recent years in an effort to address the growing need for alternative intervention modalities in mental health care. Objective The aim of this scoping review was to identify and describe social robot interventions in mental health facilities and to highlight their outcomes as well as the barriers and facilitators to their implementation. Methods A scoping review of the literature published since 2015 was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. The MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsycINFO databases were searched, and 2239 papers were retrieved. The papers included were primary empirical studies published in peer-reviewed literature. Eligible studies were set in mental health facilities and they included participants with a known mental health disorder. The methodological quality of the included papers was also assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results A total of 30 papers met the eligibility criteria for this review. Studies involved participants with dementia, cognitive impairment, schizophrenia, depression, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and an intellectual disability. The outcomes studied included engagement, social interaction, emotional state, agitation, behavior, and quality of life. Conclusions The methodological weaknesses of the studies conducted this far and the lack of diversity in the conditions studied limit the generalizability of the results. However, despite the presence of certain barriers to their implementation (eg, technical problems, unsuitable environment, staff resistance), social robot interventions generally show positive effects on patients with mental health disorders. Studies of stronger methodological quality are needed to further understand the benefits and the place of social robots in mental health care.

Aim To explore the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic first wave in Quebec, Canada on practices in early intervention services (EIS) for first‐episode psychosis, including reorganization of clinical and administrative practices and teleconsultation use. Methods Adopting a cross‐sectional descriptive study design, a 41 questions online survey was sent to the team leaders of all the 33 Quebec EIS, of which 100% responded. Data were collected from 18 May to 4 June 2020 and analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Programmes were categorized as urban/non‐urban and results were compared between these. Results All 33 existing Quebec EIS (16 urban and 17 non‐urban) completed the survey. Among them, 85% did not experience redeployment of EIS team staff and 58% reported stable frequency of patient interactions, either in‐person or through telemedicine. During the studied period, 64% of programmes reported that all professionals used teleconsultation at least occasionally. However, 73% of programmes, mostly in non‐urban areas, reported some limitations regarding clinicians' degree of ease with teleconferencing platforms and half of EIS could not access technical support to use them. The majority of EIS (94%) expressed interest to participate in a training program about the use of technologies for teleconsultations. Many smaller clinics reported interest in offering multiregional/multiclinics group teletherapy, therefore merging their pool of patients and clinical staff workforce. Conclusions Further studies are warranted to improve access to and use of technology‐mediated treatment, which seems to be a promising alternative to provide high‐quality mental healthcare during the COVID‐19 pandemic and beyond.

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Objectives Specialized early intervention for psychosis can reduce the duration of untreated psychosis and improve clinical and functional outcomes. However, poor adherence to treatment is frequent. The literature on community treatment orders (CTOs) use in first-episode psychosis (FEP) as a means to improve treatment adherence is limited. In the context of early intervention for psychosis services (EIS), this study aims to describe (1) the frequency of CTOs utilisation, (2) the trend of CTOs use over time, (3) the timing and reasons for requesting CTOs and (4) the baseline characteristics of FEP patients on CTOs compared to those who were not. Method A 5-year prospective longitudinal study describing the use of CTOs among persons with FEP admitted to two urban EIS in Montreal, Quebec, from 2005 to 2013. At admission, and then annually for 5 years, CTOs data were collected through chart review. Baseline characteristics, assessed by patient interviews, standardized questionnaires and chart review, included socio-demographic data, illness severity, functioning and alcohol and substance use. Descriptive analyses were performed, and FEP patients on CTOs during follow-up and those who were not were compared using analyses of variance, chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression. Results Among 567 FEP patients, 19.2% were placed on CTOs. The main reasons for requesting CTOs were to prevent further deterioration in mental state, social functioning, harmful behaviours to self and others and homelessness. FEP patients on CTOs had poorer premorbid and baseline functioning, more severe symptoms and social dysfunction at admission, including legal problems and homelessness. Conclusions CTOs can be a tool to improve adherence to treatment, which is crucial for relapse prevention in FEP. However, since it is a coercive method that limits a person's fundamental rights, further research is warranted to assess its impact on patients’ lives, clinical and functional outcomes, as well as patients’ and carers’ perception.

BACKGROUND The use of social robots as innovative therapeutic tools has been increasingly explored in recent years in an effort to address the growing need for alternative intervention modalities in mental health care. OBJECTIVE The aim of this scoping review was to identify and describe social robot interventions in mental health facilities and to highlight their outcomes as well as the barriers and facilitators to their implementation. METHODS A scoping review of the literature published since 2015 was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. The MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsycINFO databases were searched, and 2239 papers were retrieved. The papers included were primary empirical studies published in peer-reviewed literature. Eligible studies were set in mental health facilities and they included participants with a known mental health disorder. The methodological quality of the included papers was also assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS A total of 30 papers met the eligibility criteria for this review. Studies involved participants with dementia, cognitive impairment, schizophrenia, depression, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and an intellectual disability. The outcomes studied included engagement, social interaction, emotional state, agitation, behavior, and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS The methodological weaknesses of the studies conducted this far and the lack of diversity in the conditions studied limit the generalizability of the results. However, despite the presence of certain barriers to their implementation (eg, technical problems, unsuitable environment, staff resistance), social robot interventions generally show positive effects on patients with mental health disorders. Studies of stronger methodological quality are needed to further understand the benefits and the place of social robots in mental health care.