"I don’t trust it, but I have to trust it": Trust vs Use of Online Technology Across the Mental Health Spectrum in the UK
Abstract
Use of internet-based technologies (IBTs) and artificial intelligence (AI) via eHealth could enhance mental healthcare delivery and accessibility. However, ethical concerns, perceptions of AI capabilities, past experience, and individual differences can in-fluence acceptance and engagement. We qualitatively explored attitudes and behaviours toward IBTs, AI and eHealth, given the overlapping nature of these digital environments, trust, and the possible role of mental health. This exploratory study conducted semi-structured interviews between March and October 2023 with 22 UK-based participants: 8 with lived experi-ence of a mental health problem and 14 without. There was no clear difference in participants’ levels of trust in IBTs across mental health status. Participants reported using IBTs despite privacy concerns. Trust was influenced by perceptions of de-veloper trustworthiness, individual traits, and affective responses to IBTs. Convenience, ease of use, and lack of alternatives often outweighed concerns, driving engagement. Our findings highlight that in this group trust is a key factor in IBT and eHealth uptake, but not the sole determinant, highlighting ethical concerns and responsibilities for both UK healthcare pro-viders and developers. There is a need for transparent, ethically grounded, value-sensitive design and implementation of IBTs and AI-enabled eHealth tools that supports genuine user choice, voluntary engagement, and human interaction.
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BibTeX
@misc{palmercooper2026dont,
title = {{"I don’t trust it, but I have to trust it": Trust vs Use of Online Technology Across the Mental Health Spectrum in the UK}},
author = {Emma Palmer-Cooper and Emma Gentry and Elena Nichele and Mohammad Naiseh and Liz Dowthwaite and Tayyaba Azim and Mohamad Armouch and Frances Greenway and Mark Weal and Ann-Marie Hughes},
howpublished = {OSF Preprints},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31219/osf.io/n6rvx_v4},
url = {https://osf.io/n6rvx_v4/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - "I don’t trust it, but I have to trust it": Trust vs Use of Online Technology Across the Mental Health Spectrum in the UK
AU - Emma Palmer-Cooper
AU - Emma Gentry
AU - Elena Nichele
AU - Mohammad Naiseh
AU - Liz Dowthwaite
AU - Tayyaba Azim
AU - Mohamad Armouch
AU - Frances Greenway
AU - Mark Weal
AU - Ann-Marie Hughes
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
PB - OSF Preprints
DO - 10.31219/osf.io/n6rvx_v4
UR - https://osf.io/n6rvx_v4/
AB - Use of internet-based technologies (IBTs) and artificial intelligence (AI) via eHealth could enhance mental healthcare delivery and accessibility. However, ethical concerns, perceptions of AI capabilities, past experience, and individual differences can in-fluence acceptance and engagement. We qualitatively explored attitudes and behaviours toward IBTs, AI and eHealth, given the overlapping nature of these digital environments, trust, and the possible role of mental health. This exploratory study conducted semi-structured interviews between March and October 2023 with 22 UK-based participants: 8 with lived experi-ence of a mental health problem and 14 without. There was no clear difference in participants’ levels of trust in IBTs across mental health status. Participants reported using IBTs despite privacy concerns. Trust was influenced by perceptions of de-veloper trustworthiness, individual traits, and affective responses to IBTs. Convenience, ease of use, and lack of alternatives often outweighed concerns, driving engagement. Our findings highlight that in this group trust is a key factor in IBT and eHealth uptake, but not the sole determinant, highlighting ethical concerns and responsibilities for both UK healthcare pro-viders and developers. There is a need for transparent, ethically grounded, value-sensitive design and implementation of IBTs and AI-enabled eHealth tools that supports genuine user choice, voluntary engagement, and human interaction.
ER -