Publications - Technology and Mental Health

Friendly texts tied to fewer suicide attempts in the military, by Lisa Rapaport , Reuters, Feb 20 2019.

“Military service members who are at risk for suicide may be less likely to attempt to harm themselves when they receive supportive text messages, a U.S. study suggests. Soldiers in the study had all received behavioral health services for considering or attempting suicide in the past, and all were on active duty, in the Reserve or in the National Guard. They all received standard treatments like medication or psychotherapy as needed; half of the 650 participants were also randomly assigned to received occasional texts with messages like “hope you’re having a good day.” Over the course of a year, people who received these texts were 44 percent less likely to experience suicidal thoughts and 48 percent less likely to attempt suicide than those who didn’t get the messages. ”

Telemedicine's challenge: Getting patients to click the app, by Tom Murphy, Associated Press, Feb 6 2019.

“Widespread smartphone use, looser regulations and employer enthusiasm are helping to expand access to telemedicine, where patients interact with doctors and nurses from afar, often through a secure video connection. Supporters say virtual visits make it easier for patients to see a therapist or quickly find help for ailments that aren’t emergencies. But many still fall back to going to the doctor’s office when they’re sick. Health care experts have long said that changing behavior can be hard. In telemedicine’s case, patients might learn about it from their employer and then forget about it by the time they need care a few months later. Plus emotions can complicate health care decisions, said Mercer’s Beth Umland. “My little kid is sick, I want them to have the best of care right away, and for some people that might not register as a telemedicine call,” she said. ”

As concern about kids' mental health and social media use grows, authorities take action, by Jack Guy, CNN, Feb 5 2019.

“Concern over children's use of social media and its effect on their mental health has increased markedly in recent years, and now official action on the issue is also stepping up. In the UK, government ministers are considering imposing new rules on social media companies, while a trial introducing mindfulness exercises will be extended to up to 370 English schools. The response comes as separate surveys have revealed feelings of "overwhelming pressure" and inadequacy among young social media users, as well as the prevalence of online bullying. ”

The digital drug: Internet addiction spawns U.S. treatment programs, by Gabriella Borter, Reuters, Jan 27 2019.

“Psychiatrists say internet addiction, characterized by a loss of control over internet use and disregard for the consequences of it, affects up to 8 percent of Americans and is becoming more common around the world. “We’re all mildly addicted. I think that’s obvious to see in our behavior,” said psychiatrist Kimberly Young, who has led the field of research since founding the Center for Internet Addiction in 1995. “It becomes a public health concern obviously as health is influenced by the behavior.” ”

Link between social media and depression stronger in teen girls than boys, study says, by Jacqueline Howard, CNN, Jan 3 2019.

“There appears to be a connection between social media use and depressive symptoms in 14-year-olds, and that connection may be much stronger for girls than boys, according to a study published in the journal EClinicalMedicine on Thursday...Among teens who use social media the most -- more than five hours a day -- the study showed a 50% increase in depressive symptoms among girls versus 35% among boys, when their symptoms were compared with those who use social media for only one to three hours daily. ”

Telemedicine surging in US but still uncommon, by Lisa Rapport, Reuters, Nov 27 2018.

“"Although telemedicine visits have increased sharply in the U.S. in recent years, the vast majority of American adults still receive care from doctors in person rather than via remote technology, a new study suggests.  [...] During the study period, 53 percent of telemedicine visits were for mental health visits, followed by primary care exams at 39 percent. By the final year of the study, primary care was the most common form of telemedicine. " ”

Facebook Increasingly Reliant on A.I. To Predict Suicide Risk, by Martin Kaste , NPR, Nov 17 2018.

“A year ago, Facebook started using artificial intelligence to scan people's accounts for danger signs of imminent self-harm. Facebook Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis is pleased with the results so far. ”

Time Spent on Social Media Linked to Mental Health Issues, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Nov 11 2018.

“Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram may be hazardous to your mental health. The first experimental study examining use of multiple platforms shows a causal link between time spent on these social media and increased depression and loneliness, according to University of Pennsylvania researchers. The link between the two has been talked about for years, but a causal connection had never been proven. In the new study,  collected experimental data connected Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram use to decreased well-being. ”

Experts identify 10 research priorities for digital technology in mental health care, by Savannah Demko, The Lancet Psychiatry, Sep 7 2018.

““Research has shown the promise, but also the limitations, of different mental health technologies, including internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for various mental health conditions,” Chris Hollis, PhD, from the University of Nottingham Institute of Mental Health, England, and colleagues wrote in The Lancet Psychiatry. “To date, the research agenda relating to mental health digital technology has largely been influenced by the research community, technology developers, and health policy makers, with little reference to, or input from, people with mental health problems, their families and carers, or non-academic clinicians,” they continued. “However, to avoid harms, increase benefit and sustain impact, it is important that user needs and priorities drive digital technology development in mental health.” ”

New Group Aims to Advance Artificial Intelligence in Telehealth, by Eric Wicklund, mHealthIntelligence , Aug 1 2018.

“The Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation in Healthcare (PATH) aims to promote AI in several facets of the healthcare industry, including telehealth and telementalhealth. PATH has set out five goals to champion AI in healthcare: improve patient outcomes and productivity; reduce government and professional regulatory barriers; align payment policies and incentives; promote partnership in developing ethical applications; and advance public understanding. ”

There’s an App for That? Merging Technology and Mental Health, by Staff, Ozobot Blog, Jan 18 2018.

“If you scrape your knee or bruise your arm, the treatment is easy. The symptoms are visible and you can watch the scab heal and the bruise fade. Unfortunately, not all wounds are that easy to see. The field of psychiatry works to treat mental illness and help people who struggle with their thoughts and emotions. The symptoms are hard to see and the causes are even harder to treat. Doctors and scientists are working to make these symptoms more visible and treat them better. One tool that many professionals use is technology, which is opening up a new world of psychiatric treatment to patients and doctors alike. ”

'The Woebot will see you now' — the rise of chatbot therapy, by Amy Ellis Nutt, The Washington Post, Dec 3 2017.

“Mobile talk-therapy and life-coaching apps have proliferated in the past few years as traditional therapy has remained difficult to obtain. The Affordable Care Act requires health insurers to cover mental health as part of standard medical services, but many people still do not have access to treatment. More than 106 million people — nearly a third of the country — live in areas that are federally designated as having a shortage of mental-health-care professionals, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. “I think using chatbot for mental health is certainly an innovative approach to increase access to care,” said John Torous, co-director of a digital psychiatry program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. [There is] tremendous potential to deliver personalized mental health care, on demand, as needed.” ”

We Need to Talk About Kids and Smartphones, by Markham Heid, Time Magazine, Oct 10 2017.

“It seems like every generation of parents has a collective freak-out when it comes to kids and new technologies; television and video games each inspired widespread hand-wringing among grown-ups. But the inescapability of today’s mobile devices—coupled with the personal allure of social media—seems to separate smartphones from older screen-based media. Parents, teens and researchers agree smartphones are having a profound impact on the way adolescents today communicate with one another and spend their free time. And while some experts say it’s too soon to ring alarm bells about smartphones, others argue we understand enough about young people’s emotional and developmental vulnerabilities to recommend restricting kids’ escalating phone habit. ”

6 Ways Technology Can Help Mental Health Disorders, by Kirstin Fawcett, Mental Floss, Oct 10 2017.

“Mental health issues affect hundreds of millions of people around the globe; according to the World Health Organization, some 300 million suffer from depression, and another 260 million grapple with anxiety disorders. While researchers haven't developed any breakthrough mental health drugs in nearly three decades, new technological innovations are helping some patients connect with a therapist, get diagnosed, track moods, manage or mitigate symptoms, and stick to treatments. Here are just a sampling of them. ”

Will Technology Transform Mental Health Care? A Future Tense Event Recap., by Tonya Riley, Slate, Oct 3 2017.

“Though the impact our digital habits have on mental health may be increasingly grabbing the spotlight, there’s less talk about how these same technologies may one day be used to revolutionize how we treat mental illness.  On Sept. 28, Future Tense convened leading researchers in the field to discuss the ways technology is changing approaches to psychiatric study and care. The question at the heart of the discussion was: Are we on the verge of a new era in psychiatric care, or will these treatments go the way of other now-condemned methods? ”