Abstract

Populations experiencing homelessness face disproportionately high rates of mental health illness, yet they remain among the most digitally excluded populations in current healthcare systems. As new digital health interventions like telehealth, mobile apps, and eHealth platforms become increasingly important to mental health care delivery, questions arise about their accessibility, feasibility, and ethical implications for unhoused individuals. This paper explores the intersection of digital inclusion and mental health care for adults experiencing homelessness, drawing on eight systematic reviews published between 2020 and 2025. The literature reveals significant barriers to digital access, including lack of devices, internet connectivity, digital literacy, and trust in healthcare systems. Despite these challenges, emerging interventions show promise when adapted to the lived experiences of underserved populations. The analysis highlights gaps in implementation, ethical considerations around autonomy, and the need for trauma-informed, well-designed digital health tools. Implications for psychiatric practice include reconsidering current outreach models and advocating for systemwide reforms that promote digital equity. Recommendations for future research emphasize longitudinal studies, hands-on design, and policy-level interventions to ensure that digital mental health changes do not aggravate existing disparities. This examination contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexity in adult mental health care and the evolving role of technology in serving vulnerable populations.

Description

Faculty Advisor Details: Sharon Schaaf, PhD, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, AG-ACNP is a clinician educator, associate professor at The University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Nursing. She is board certified as an adult/gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AG-ACNP) and a family nurse practitioner, and holds a Post-Master's Certificate in cardiology.

Author Details

Ramon A. Gambino Castanos, DNP, PMHNP-BC, RN, WCC - University of New Mexico Hospital Care Campus Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Lead Author Affiliation

University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Type

Other Graduate Paper

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Literature Review

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Homelessness, Homeless Persons, Mental Health, Health Services Accessibility, Mental Health Services, Community Mental Health Services, People with Mental Illness, Health Equity, Digital Health, Digital Inclusion, Digital Technology, Telehealth, Telemedicine, Psychiatric Nursing, Social Determinants of Health, Underserved Populations, Medically Underserved Persons

Advisor

Sharon Schaaf

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

University of New Mexico

Degree Year

2026

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2026-10-20

Full Text of Presentation

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