CBITs Director, David Mohr, PhD, Gives Keynote at ADAA Annual Conference 2026
By Becca Flynn – April 13, 2026
The Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) held its 2026 annual conference in Chicago, bringing together a multidisciplinary audience of clinicians, researchers, and emerging leaders in mental health. The annual meeting serves as a forum for sharing cutting-edge research and clinical advances for anxiety, depression, and related disorders. At this year’s conference titled, “Innovations in Technology Driving Clinical Care and Research in Mood and Anxiety Disorders,” CBITs Director, David Mohr, PhD, was selected to deliver the conference’s opening keynote address, titled “Making Digital Mental Health Work in the Real World.”
Mohr’s keynote address explored the growing role of digital technologies in expanding access to evidence-based mental health care. He discussed how tools such as smartphone apps, web-based programs, and text messaging interventions can help reach individuals who face barriers to traditional care. Mohr also emphasized the challenges of translating digital interventions from research into real-world clinical settings, highlighting lessons learned about designing tools that integrate seamlessly into healthcare systems while maintaining engagement and effectiveness.
Reflecting on the conference’s programming, Mohr noted: “Centering digital mental health treatments at this year’s ADAA conference reflects a recognition that digital mental health has become an evidence-based medium of treatment. The primary questions are no longer around whether it can be effective, rather, how it can be implemented thoughtfully, efficaciously, and responsibly. While digital mental health cannot and should not replace clinicians, it can extend care to millions of people who cannot access it. It is an honor to have been invited to reflect upon this moment and to contribute to this conversation in this year’s keynote address.”
Several other CBITs researchers also presented their work at the conference. In a symposia focused on digital adaptations of suicide prevention tools, CBITs faculty member Jonah Meyerhoff, PhD, shared findings from usability testing of PlanSafe, a text messaging intervention co-designed with young adults to help them create and use personalized safety plans. The project explores how digital tools may help expand access to suicide prevention resources for young people who may not engage in traditional mental health care.
In a symposium examining innovations in treatment-resistant depression, CBITs Co-Director, Andrea Graham, PhD, discussed how digital interventions can be leveraged to increase access to care for depression and anxiety. Her presentation highlighted both the promise of these tools and the practical challenges of integrating them into healthcare settings, including strategies such as human-centered design and partnerships with community organizations to better reach underserved populations.
The ADAA’s emphasis on technology in the treatment and research of anxiety and depression acknowledges the promise of digital tools to meet the growing need for evidence-based mental healthcare that can reach people remotely. The work of Mohr, Graham, and Meyerhoff exemplifies the opportunities and challenges digital interventions present in this changing landscape. For more information on the ADAA 2026 conference, visit: https://adaa.org/adaa-conference-2026