Competencies of arts therapists for digital mental healthcare in adults: a scoping review

BACKGROUND: Arts therapies are increasingly recognized for their effectiveness in mental health care, as digital technologies rapidly transform service delivery and accessibility. However, competencies required for arts therapists to implement digital mental healthcare remain under-researched. This study aims to identify and map these competencies and align them with relevant digital domains and clusters. METHODS: A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR and Arksey and O'Malley's five-step framework used systematic searches in PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest to comprehensively map relevant studies. RESULTS: This scoping review identified 49 unique digital competencies for arts therapists in adult mental health care, systematically organized into 12 domains across three clusters: Digital Foundations, Digital Clinical Practice, and Digital Engagement & Management. The most frequently represented domains were Patient-centred applications and education, Remote care, and Clinical care, with competencies such as digital patient engagement, remote patient monitoring, and digital therapeutic systems most often cited. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review establishes a foundational competency framework for arts therapists in digital mental healthcare, guiding practice standardization, education, and future research.