Treatment

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

 

Teletherapy

If the expansion of brands that offer services (e.g., Betterhelp and Talkspace) is any indication, the popularity of teletherapy is growing. The name “tele” is a bit of a misnomer, as teletherapy can be done through video and text messaging 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 offer a different experience; body language, tone, and nuance are always lost when you are not able to see or hear your therapist. However, the ease of receiving services, especially in underserved communities, may outweigh the disadvantages. Although much more groundwork is needed, some clinical studies have resolved that teletherapy is just as effective as conventional therapy.

 

Websites and Apps

There’s definitely an explosion of internet-related psychotherapeutic treatment. A majority of this is available through web sites and apps. Although some applications are basically just conduits to teletherapy services, many are hybrids that offer education, self-help, and online support when required. The majority of online based therapy uses cognitive-behavioral principles. As a whole, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy has exhibited favorable results for a variety of psychological disorders, including ADHD, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health apps are unregulated, however, so users should certainly proceed with caution when trying to find assistance.

Improved Self-Report

Many self-report measures, which are still the greater part of psychological research and assessments, can be given easily on a computer, as an alternative to with pen and paper. This decreases costs and is generally more convenient, except in older communities who may not be as familiar with computers. This also makes data research easier; data collected on a computer can be quickly turned into computer statistical analysis. For instance, many assessment instruments (e.g., the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory) automatically tabulate and interpret data immediately after it is entered.

 

Increasing Convenience

Cell phones and wearables (e.g., smartwatches, fitness trackers), make it easy to compile information as it takes place, instead of having to depend on a later self-report. Human memory is fallible and the faster the details are entered the more likely it is precise. Some software routinely enters information, such as programs measuring physical exercise and sleep habits. More information still must be entered manually (e.g., a food log) but can be done much more quickly and conveniently on a phone you carry on hand at all times. Technology also allows analysts to perform measurements in natural settings rather than be 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 brain function of elementary school students in their classrooms.

 

New Instruments

Technology has introduced new ways to gather information, some of which are vast improvements over older methods. For instance, virtual reality tech allows scientists to collect data without actually visiting a specific natural environment. Along with this being cheaper and more convenient, but it also eradicates certain ethical issues and reliance on self-report. Another illustration of new technology is a sensor that is placed on the skin to determine Galvanic Skin Response, an indicator of stress. Additionally, using mobile devices allows measurement to happen almost anywhere with a lot more accuracy.

 

Databases

Storage technology has permitted the development of huge databases of data. A number of these catalog human behavior which can be used in the study of psychology. For instance, databases possess information on anything from crime statistics to sleep deprivation. Furthermore, these databases collect data from a large and diverse human population, making them perfect for satisfying validity concerns. This presents psychologists with huge stores of information in which to examine.

 

Improving Validity and Consistency

As technological know-how advances, instruments are created which allow people to get larger samples and be more precise in their measurements. One of many great problems in psychological research is the reproduction of results. Pen and pencil self-report has been naturally unreliable. New instruments that demonstrate improved accuracy and accessibility are easier to replicate. Likewise, the larger 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 usually provides a far more convenient and cheaper option when used for assessment and therapy reasons. Maybe most of all, it has enabled a lot more people to get information and make use of mental health services.