Capitalizing On A New Era Of Brain Health Investment And Innovation
From the cultural zeitgeist of productivity and self-care to Covid-19’s indirect and direct mental health impacts, brain health is at the forefront of our minds. As the CEO of a healthcare and biotech branding agency, I’ve also noticed a shift toward brain health. Approximately a third of the clients I connect with now are focused […]
3 ways to leverage tech for better student mental health
Ensuring students thrive academically requires helping kids thrive holistically—and technology can actually be part of the solution. Researchers have long speculated that the increasing use of technology and social media among teenagers contributes to worsening mental health outcomes. Now, it can be an important tool to help schools address an unprecedented mental health crisis. In […]
Future Psychiatrists Aim to Fill the Gap
Since 1949, May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness month—a time to destigmatize behavioral health conditions and bring attention to the necessary support of millions in the United States who are affected by mental illness. Psychiatrists, professionals who focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, provide an invaluable […]
Emerging Trends in Mental Health and Consumer Behavior Among Gen Alpha
The mental health and consumer behavior of the emerging generation, Gen Alpha, is a topic of growing concern among researchers and experts. With the rise of technology, globalization, and social media, this generation is experiencing a unique set of challenges and opportunities that are shaping their perspectives on mental health and consumption. One of the […]
Technology as a Tool for Mental Health
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/technology-as-a-tool-for-mental-health Susan J. Noonan, MD, MPH, discusses technology’s new role in psychiatry. The pandemic forced many to go remote, and many have not gone back to “normal” full in-person services. Dr Noonan is a physician, mental health and wellness coach; author of 5 books on managing mental health and mood disorders with a print and video […]
Growth of AI in mental health raises fears of its ability to run wild
The rise of AI in mental health care has providers and researchers increasingly concerned over whether glitchy algorithms, privacy gaps and other perils could outweigh the technology’s promise and lead to dangerous patient outcomes. Why it matters: As the Pew Research Center recently found, there’s widespread skepticism over whether using AI to diagnose and treat conditions will complicate a […]
Chatbots are creating thorny ethical questions about transparency in mental health care
The mental health field is increasingly looking to chatbots to relieve escalating pressure on a limited pool of licensed therapists. But they’re entering uncharted ethical territory as they confront questions about how closely AI should be involved in such deeply sensitive support. Researchers and developers are in the very early stages of figuring out how […]
Telemental health for clinical assessment and treatment
Before the covid-19 pandemic, the use of telemedicine (ie, care delivered via videoconferencing or phone/audio only) had been increasing in mental healthcare but was not prevalent.123 The pandemic, with its pressure to enact social distancing when possible and a concomitant relaxation of healthcare payment and regulatory policies to facilitate rapid adoption of telemedicine, vastly accelerated its […]
Navigating the Future of Mental Health Technology
There is no doubt that as technology grows exponentially more advanced, highly digitized mental health treatment is the future. So how do physicians elicit standards in the Wild West of new ideas and app development while simultaneously protecting patient identity? Recently, at APA’s 2022 Mental Health Innovation Exchange (MHIE), medical leaders who work at the […]
Remote technology in mental health services
The use of digital or remote care has rapidly expanded as a result of the pandemic, becoming a lifeline for many people around the world. But making routine, long-term use of technology requires some significant shifts in the way mental health services work to ensure that the benefits are distributed equitably and that no one […]
VECTOR HEALTH LABS ACQUIRES AI-DRIVEN MENTAL HEALTH TECH STARTUP GET A-HEAD
Toronto-based Get A-Head, which provides an online mental health training and delivery platform, has been acquired by Vector Health Labs for $17 million. According to Get A-Head, its integration into Vector Health will enable the latter to expand its offerings from telehealth and non-invasive lab testing to also include mental health support. Founded in 2019 by Ahad […]
The Future of Mental-Health Care Must Involve Resilience – and Technology
Conventional approaches to treating mental-health conditions are failing us. We are currently in a worldwide mental-health crisis. In the United States alone, nine out of ten deaths are caused in part by stress – and youth are particularly at risk. Almost a fifth of youth report having serious suicidal thoughts and almost ten per cent have attempted suicide. This autumn, Congress […]
Accenture Invests in BehaVR to Help Expand Access to Mental and Behavioral Healthcare Using Virtual Reality
NEW YORK; Dec. 13, 2022 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has made a strategic investment, through Accenture Ventures, in BehaVR, a leading innovator in virtual reality (VR) digital wellness and digital therapeutics experiences. On the same day, BehaVR announced a merger with OxfordVR, a spin-out of Oxford University and a leader in science-based virtual reality treatments for serious mental illnesses. The newly […]
OHSU partners with semiconductor company to develop smartwatch that detects key mental health indicator
OHSU researchers, ADI engineers are developing evidence-based technology to help address rising mental health crisis in teens. During each and every shift, David Sheridan, M.D., cares for adolescents who have come to the hospital emergency department at Oregon Health & Science University with suicidal thoughts or attempts. “Adolescents with suicidality are presenting to emergency departments in […]
Our Kids’ Brains Hurt From Using Technology
The psychology research bucket has been overflowing the last few years with indictments of technology and its deleterious impact on our mental and emotional well-being. Brain research and mental health studies are dovetailing on the conclusion that screen time—particularly social media use—is stressing our brains, specifically the engine of computation and mental functioning: the prefrontal […]
New visions for mental health care
Globally, one in five people will be affected by a serious mental health issue. Yet, according to Thomas Insel, the former head of the National Institute of Mental Health, despite tens of billions of dollars invested in neuroscience and genetics research, we’ve hardly moved the needle in improving the lives of people living with mental […]
What are the Applications of Technology-Based Mental Health Interventions?
Mental health disorders are becoming increasingly frequent in the general population. Mental health disorders are largely associated with improved life expectancy and end-of-life diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, with over 15% of those over 60 suffering from some form of mental disorder. Technological devices such as mobile phones, computers, and the internet can provide digital […]
How AI Is Improving Mental Health Therapy
The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a major shift towards telehealth, where people can access healthcare through telecommunication methods, like video calls. As families stayed home to prevent catching a disease that was largely unknown at the time, many had no choice but to turn to electronic health-related services, among them mental health therapy. Simultaneously, increased isolation-induced […]
Startups Changing the Mental Health Industry
Technology has traditionally been portrayed in science fiction as a way to enhance human existence. Numerous speculative scenarios emphasize the use of cutting-edge technology to improve healthcare. Popular concepts include autonomous robotic stations that can carry out intricate surgical procedures without human aid and holographic physicians preprogrammed with medical knowledge gained over generations. Of course, […]
IU researchers build virtual environment to help people recover from substance use disorders
Indiana University researchers are combining psychological principles with innovative virtual reality technology to create a new immersive therapy for people with substance use disorders. They’ve recently received over $4.9 million from the National Institutes of Health and launched an IU-affiliated startup company to test and further develop the technology. Led by Brandon Oberlin, an assistant […]
Taking Care of Students’ Mental Health with Technology
Educational technology offers resources to address mental health within the classroom; teachers can help identify emotions, manage them, and prioritize well-being. When education focuses on putting students at the center of their learning, the care for their well-being sharpens. Each learner deals with different personal scenarios like family problems, financial difficulties, feelings of isolation, social […]
AI equal to humans in text-message mental health trial
Computers can competently parse snippets of typed conversation for warning signs of serious mental illness, psychiatry researchers find. UW Medicine researchers have found that algorithms are as good as trained human evaluators at identifying red-flag language in text messages from people with serious mental illness. This opens a promising area of study that could help […]
Unregulated New Technology: The Science of Mental Health Apps
The new technology for mental health apps is booming in popularity. It’s also unregulated and undertested. Whether you’re standing in an elevator or sitting down at a dinner table, chances are that one of the people next to you is experiencing psychological hardship. Maybe it’s you. Last year, an estimated 47 million Americans experienced mental illness; […]
What is and what is not a bipolar disorder, the most trivialized serious mental problem
Bipolar disorder is probably the most trivialized serious mental disorder. In contrast to the terms schizophrenia or anorexia nervosa, which bring to mind something sordid and dark, the so-called “bipolarity” hints at a playful alternation between the expansive and the sad, between the friendly and the angry. “My boss must be bipolar” or “I’m a little bipolar” – […]
Feasibility of a Digital Technology and Peer Support Intervention Aimed at Decreasing Schizophrenia Relapse
Digital technology coupled with peer support and clinical triage appeared to be feasible, safe, and acceptable for preventing relapse among patients with schizophrenia, according to results of a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. The Early signs Monitoring to Prevent relapse in psychosis and prOmote Well-being, Engagement, and Recovery (EMPOWER) study was a multicenter, 2 parallel […]
Inside the Effort to Expand Virtual Reality Treatments for Mental Health
A June 21, 1995, headline on page 11 of the New York Times read: “‘Virtual Reality’ Conquers Fear of Heights.” The article told the story of Chris Klock, a junior at Georgia Tech, who donned a head-mounted display once a week for seven weeks, and was transported to a 3-D environment simulating various altitudes. He stared down from […]
Using Microsoft technology to empower mental healthcare
Many start-ups are using Microsoft technology to improve treatments and therapies for mental health disorders, enabling individuals to take their care into their own hands. According to the 2021 investment recap of healthcare venture fund Rock Health, digital health start-ups offering mental healthcare services raised $5.1 billion. This is $3.3 billion more than any other […]
Inside the Effort to Expand Virtual Reality Treatments for Mental Health
Medical professionals are embracing the technology to help patients deal with PTSD, anxiety disorders and more. A June 21, 1995, headline on page 11 of the New York Times read: “‘Virtual Reality’ Conquers Fear of Heights.” The article told the story of Chris Klock, a junior at Georgia Tech, who donned a head-mounted display once a week for […]
Technology and matters of the mind
It’s difficult to imagine our lives without technology. Can we imagine how we could have gotten through the pandemic without our mobile phones? From lending a hand to those looking for help to raising awareness about diseases and offering succour at times when there was no way out, technology truly changed our lives for good, for […]
Tech Innovations that Could Change Mental Health
Technology and mental health might seem completely different concepts, sometimes even antagonistic. Living in the digital era is, without any doubt, a challenge, especially for the younger generation, who spends most of their time on their smartphones. Thus, their mental health has started to suffer. But, like in most cases, you can’t manage what you […]
Study finds deep divide on mental health impact of COVID-19
HANOVER, N.H. – May 4, 2022 – COVID-19 is revealing a deep divide in the mental health of college students, with some having much more difficulty with their emotional well-being during the pandemic than others, according to a new Dartmouth study. The multiyear study comparing the first full year of COVD-19 against the year immediately […]
The Death of Diagnosis: Can Research Find a Better Way To Understand Mental Health?
In the aftermath of World War II, scientific revolutions reshaped our planet. Rocket technology provided a blueprint for our exploration of space. The Manhattan project rapidly accelerated our ability to use particles – too tiny to comprehend – to unleash almost unlimited power and destruction. The first computers began to hint at a future where […]
Social Media and Youth Mental Health: How to Find Balance After Pandemic Spikes in Use
Penélope Cruz recently announced on CBS that her children aren’t allowed to use social media until they’re 16. “I feel really bad for the ones that are teenagers now,” she said. “It’s almost like the world [is] doing some kind of experiment on them: ‘Oh, let’s see what happens if you expose a 12-year-old to that much […]