Improving digital mental health services for all.
1 in 5 Americans will have a diagnosable mental health condition this year.
84% of those with a diagnosable mental illness receive no or inadequate treatment.
169 million Americans live in Federally Designated Mental Health Shortage Areas.
Who We Are
Northwestern University's Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs) investigates effective digital mental health services. Our work focuses on implementing these solutions equitably and sustainably in healthcare systems and communities while training the next generation of digital health investigators.
Our Work
Our Research
Our faculty study behavioral intervention technologies and technology-enabled services. Learn about our ALACRITY Center, our ongoing projects and more.
Education & Events
Learn about our training efforts, including webinars, reading courses and our T32 postdoctoral fellowship in digital mental health.
Active Studies
If you or someone you know experiences depression, anxiety or binge eating, you may be eligible to participate in one of our paid research studies.
Faculty Spotlight
Kathryn Macapagal, PhD
Kathryn Macapagal, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medical Social Sciences whose research focuses on improving adolescent health and wellbeing through social-behavioral dissemination and implementation science.
Her work centers on LGBTQ+ youth, sexual health, and HIV prevention, using digital and multimedia approaches alongside community-engaged research to better understand adolescents’ needs and develop interventions that support healthier behaviors, expand access to care, and help young people thrive. One pillar of Dr. Macapagal’s research examines adolescents’ knowledge and use of biomedical HIV prevention methods and their experiences accessing HIV and STI testing and prevention services. She uses these insights to design teen-centered interventions that address gaps in traditional health education and support adolescents’ autonomy in healthcare, including the social marketing campaign she co-founded, PrEP4Teens.
“Teenagers have important perspectives that adults often overlook or dismiss, and this mentality can contribute to substandard care for young people. I try to undo that by taking young people's ideas and insights seriously and collaborating with them in efforts to make science and public health better and more inclusive of them.”
Upcoming presentations include:
“Weaving behavioral HIV prevention strategies into the fabric of youth’s lives” – World Confederation of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, San Francisco, June 25-28, 2026
“Acceptability of SHER, a digital sexual health promotion intervention for diverse adolescents” - International Academy of Sex Research Annual Meeting, Porto, July 13-16, 2026
