Treatment

Technology has had a significant impact on the advancing world of treatment. The traditional face-to-face therapy session is often time-consuming and inconvenient. In some areas, there may be no in-person therapy available. Technology offers alternatives that put a premium on client convenience. Digital technology, in the form of web sites, apps, and teleconferencing, are the future of psychotherapy. Revolutionary digital psychiatric assessment tools like Clinicom are setting new standards in how treament is advancing in mental health.

 

Teletherapy

If the proliferation of companies that offer services (e.g., Betterhelp and Talkspace) is any indicator, the popularity of teletherapy is growing. The name “tele” is a bit of a misnomer, as teletherapy can be done through video and texting as well as on the telephone. Video conferencing is quite similar to face-to-face treatment except it is online, such as Zoom, Skype Video calls or Facetime. Sessions that rely on phone calls and texting seem to provide a different experience; body language, tone, and nuance are mostly lost because you aren’t able to see or hear your therapist. However, the convenience of receiving services, especially in underserved communities, may be greater than the disadvantages. Although much more groundwork is needed, some clinical studies have resolved that teletherapy is just as effective as more traditional therapy.

 

Websites and Apps

There’s certainly an exploding market of internet-related psychotherapeutic treatment. A majority of this is accessible through websites and apps. Even though some applications are simply conduits to teletherapy services, many are hybrids that offer education, self-help, and online support when needed. The bulk of online based therapy uses cognitive-behavioral principles. As a whole, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy has exhibited positive results for a variety of psychological illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health apps are unregulated, however, so consumers should certainly proceed with caution when in search of help.

Improved Self-Report

Most self-report measures, which are still the majority of psychological research and assessments, can be carried out easily on a laptop or computer, in place of with pen and paper. This decreases costs and is generally easier, except in older communities who will not be as familiar with computer systems. This also makes data research easier; data collected on a computer can be quickly reconstructed as computer statistical analysis. For example, many assessment instruments (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory) automatically tabulate and interpret data immediately after it is entered.

 

Adding to Convenience

Cell phones and wearables (e.g., smartwatches, fitness trackers), allow it to become easy to compile information as it takes place, instead of having to rely on a later self-report. Human memory is fallible and the quicker the details are entered the more likely it is precise. Some software immediately enters information, such as programs measuring exercise and sleep habits. Other information still has to be entered manually (e.g., a food log) but can be done far more quickly and conveniently on a phone you carry with you at all times. Technology also allows scientists to perform measurements in natural settings instead of being confined to the lab. For example, neuroscientist Melina Uncapher of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) uses software on an iPad to cognitively assess the thinking processes of elementary school students in their school rooms.

 

New Instruments

Technology has introduced new ways to gather data, some of which are vast enhancements over older methods. For example, virtual reality tech allows scientists to gather data without actually visiting a specific environment. Along with this being cheaper and more convenient, but it also eliminates certain ethical worries and reliance upon self-report. Another example of new technology is a sensor that is affixed to the skin to measure Galvanic Skin Response, a signal of stress. Additionally, using mobile devices allows measurement to take place almost anywhere with increased accuracy.

 

Databases

Storage technology has permitted the development of huge databases of information. Several of these catalog human behavior that can be used in the study of psychology. For instance, databases possess facts about everything from crime figures to sleep deprivation. Furthermore, these databases collect information from a large and diverse population, making them ideal for satisfying validity concerns. This presents psychologists with huge stores of information in which to examine.

 

Improving Validity and Reliability

As technology advances, instruments are created which allow people to obtain larger samples and be more precise in their measurements. One of the great problems in psychological research is the replication of results. Pen and pencil self-report has been basically unreliable. New instruments that exhibit improved accuracy and accessibility are easier to replicate. Additionally, the greater the sample, the greater the ability to measure effects and ensure external validity.

Technology has remodeled study regarding psychology. It has led to advancement in treatment, education, mental health assessment, and background work. Technology generally provides a far more convenient and cheaper option when used for assessment and treatment reasons. Maybe most significantly, it has enabled more and more people to obtain information and utilize mental health services.