Safeguarding the Landscape of Mental Wellness: Analyzing Cyber Threats and Mitigation Strategies in Digital Healthcare

Abstract

With the pervasiveness of digital technologies across various sectors, mental health care has not been left out, where the use of IoT has enhanced therapeutic practice through better monitoring of patients, collection of data, and proper alignment of treatment measures. However, the data collected for mental health is synonymous with high sensitivity; the information collected via IoT devices is prone to cybersecurity challenges which may compromise patient privacy or interfere with the treatment process. This review paper seeks to synthesize the two sides of IoT application in mental health, which are; advantages and cybersecurity threats. This paper aims at conducting a deep review of sources to ascertain the level of cybersecurity threats surrounding IoT in mental health, the performance of the current security measures, and possible future measures. It aims to identify the best measures to curb insecurity tendencies in the use of IoT in mental health. The review will contribute to the existing sources in the quest to secure health data in the rapidly evolving digital health field hence helping to create trust in secure information sharing.