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 treatment available. Technology offers alternative options that put a premium on client convenience. Digital technology, in the form of web sites, mobile 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 therapy (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 only use phone calls and texting seem to offer a different experience; body language, tone, and nuance are always lost because you aren’t able to see or hear your therapist. However, the advantage of receiving services, especially in underserved communities, may outweigh the disadvantages. Although much more groundwork is needed, some researchers have resolved that teletherapy is just as effective as conventional therapy.

 

Websites and Apps

There’s certainly an explosion of internet-related psychotherapeutic treatment. A majority of this is available through web sites and apps. Although some software applications are basically just conduits to teletherapy services, many are hybrids that offer education, self-help, and online support if necessary. 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 consumers should proceed with caution when attempting to find help.

Improved Self-Report

Most self-report actions, which are still the greater part of psychological research and assessments, can be carried out easily on a laptop or computer, rather than with paper and pencil. This decreases costs and is generally easier, except in more mature communities who will not be as familiar with computer systems. This also makes data research easier; data compiled on a computer can be quickly reconstructed as computer statistical analysis. As an 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.

 

Increasing Convenience

Cell phones and wearables (e.g., smartwatches, fitness trackers), help it become easy to compile info as it occurs, instead of having to depend on a later self-report. Our memory is fallible and the faster the details are entered the more likely it is precise. Some software immediately enters information, like programs measuring physical exercise and sleep habits. Other information still has to be entered by hand (e.g., a food log) but can be done much more quickly and conveniently on a phone you carry on hand all the time. Technology also allows researchers to perform measurements in natural settings instead of being limited to the lab. For example, neuroscientist Melina Uncapher of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) uses software programs on an iPad to cognitively study the brain function of elementary school students in their classrooms.

 

New Instruments

Technology has introduced new ways to gather material, some of which are vast advancements over older methods. For instance, 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 concerns and reliance on self-report. Another example of new technology is a sensor that is affixed to the skin to determine Galvanic Skin Response, a signal of stress. Additionally, the utilization of mobile devices allows measurement to take place almost anyplace with more accuracy.

 

Databases

Storage technology has made it possible for 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 details on everything 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 provides psychologists with huge stores of information in which to look into.

 

Improving Validity and Reliability

As technological know-how advances, instruments are created which allow people to get larger samples and be more exact 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 simpler to replicate. Likewise, the larger the sample, the higher the ability to measure effects and ensure external validity.

Technology has greatly improved study regarding psychology. It has led to innovation in treatment, education, mental health assessment, and background work. Technology usually provides a far more convenient and cheaper alternative when used for assessment and therapy purposes. Maybe most significantly, it has enabled lots more people to get information and benefit from mental health services.