Treatment

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

 

Telemedicine

If the expansion of companies 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 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 only use phone calls and texting seem to offer a different experience; body language, tone, and nuance are commonly lost when you aren’t able to see or hear your therapist. However, the advantage of receiving services, especially in underserved communities, may be greater than the disadvantages. Although much more research is needed, some clinical studies have agreed that teletherapy is just as effective as conventional therapy.

 

Websites and Apps

There’s certainly an explosion of internet-related psychotherapeutic treatment. Much of this is accessed through web sites and apps. Although some apps are basically conduits to teletherapy services, many are hybrids that offer education, self-help, and online support as needed. The bulk 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 consumers should proceed with caution when seeking out assistance.

Improved Self-Report

Many self-report actions, which are still the majority of psychological research and assessments, can be administered easily on a computer, as opposed to with paper and pencil. This decreases costs and is generally more convenient, except in older populations who may not be as familiar with computers. This makes data research easier; data collected on a computer can be quickly reconstructed as 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.

 

Adding to Convenience

Cell phones and wearables (e.g., smartwatches, fitness trackers), allow it to become easy to compile info as it happens, rather than depend on a later self-report. Human memory is fallible and the faster the details are entered the more likely it is reliable. Some software immediately enters information, like programs measuring exercise and sleep habits. Other information still has to be entered by hand (e.g., a food log) but could be done much more quickly and conveniently on a phone you carry with you all the time. Technology also allows researchers 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 programs on an iPad to cognitively measure the thinking processes of elementary school students in their classrooms.

 

New Instruments

Technology has unveiled new ways to gather information and facts, some of which are vast enhancements over older methods. For example, virtual reality tech allows researchers to gather data without actually visiting a specific natural environment. Along with this being cheaper and more convenient, but it also eradicates certain ethical worries and reliance on self-report. Another illustration of new technology is a sensor that is affixed to the skin to determine Galvanic Skin Response, a signal of stress. Additionally, using mobile devices allows measurement to take place almost anyplace with an increase of accuracy.

 

Databases

Storage technology has allowed the development of huge directories of data. Many of these catalog human behavior that can be used in the study of psychology. For example, databases possess information about anything from crime statistics to sleep deprivation. Furthermore, these databases collect information from a large and diverse population, making them great for satisfying validity concerns. This presents psychologists with huge stores of data in which to examine.

 

Improving Validity and Trustworthiness

As technology advances, instruments are created which allow research workers to acquire larger samples and be more exact in their measurements. One of many great problems in psychological research is the replication of results. Pen and pencil self-report has been fundamentally unreliable. New instruments that show improved accuracy and accessibility are simpler to replicate. Furthermore, the better the sample, the better the ability to measure effects and ensure external validity.

Technology has metamorphosed study regarding psychology. It has led to advancement in treatment, education, mental health assessment, and background work. Technology usually provides a more convenient and cheaper option when used for assessment and therapy purposes. Maybe most significantly, it has enabled more people to obtain information and make use of mental health services.