How does digital affect mental health or how can we use it in our own advantage
From talking to friends on social media to shopping and banking online, digital technology is fast becoming an important part of our everyday lives. Importantly, it’s also increasingly being used to help improve the way we understand and treat mental disorder(s), if we have one :).
But with technologies and new ideas advancing at pace, how can we be sure that they are being channelled to tackle the issues that matter most?
The headline of a 2012 study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project is a good summary of the current debate on how the rapid growth of technology will effect our minds:
“Millennials will benefit andsuffer due to their hyperconnected lives.” Pew surveyed “technology experts and stakeholders,” who generally agreed that those who best capitalize on new technologies will be able to effectively find and sift through large amounts of information as quickly as possible. On the flip side, technology may make us impatient, subject to frequent distraction, and desperate for constant entertainment. In a recent book written by professor Larry Rosen who works at California State University, says that many people today could be diagnosed with what he calls an iDisorder. An iDisorder would be a disorder where a person exhibits signs and symptoms of a psychiatric disorder such as OCD(OKP), narcissism, addiction or even ADHD, which are manifested through your use — or overuse — of technology.”
An obsessive need to check for text messages, a desperate desire to constantly update your Facebook status, or a near-addiction to iPhone games are all manifestations of iDisorder. Whether or not changes in our behavior due to technology use classify as a disorder, there is no denying that technology is affecting the way our minds operate.
It remains to be seen exactly how technology will affect our psyches, but some changes are already starting to become apparent. The professor also did a research on high school students to determine how technological distractions affected their study habits. He discovered that students could concentrate for an average of a measly three minutes at a stretch.
The major culprit behind their lack of focus? Technology. Students who tended to “multitask” (or, really, to change tasks frequently) or to check Facebook even once during the 15-minutes they were monitored were likely to be poor students.
Students reported that even without the constant reminders provided by notification lights and sounds, they were internally preoccupied with whether anyone was trying to get in touch with them or commenting on their statuses. Despite its potential to help us make connections, technology can also encourage and provide an outlet for a me-centered mentality.
A study from the University of Western Illinois investigated the relationship between two aspects of narcissism — grandiose exhibitionism and entitlement/exploitativeness — and Facebook behavior. Those who scored high on a test for grandiose exhibitionism tended to use Facebook for self-promoting activities, such as frequently updating statuses and posting photos.
Those who showed high levels of entitlement/exploitativeness were likely to exhibit anti-social Facebook behaviors, such as reacting angrily to critical comments and posting in ways that sought support without supporting their friends in turn.
If you find yourself constantly changing your profile picture and getting upset when fewer than 50 people like your status, it may be time to take a long hard look in the mirror and reconsider your behavior. Narcissists like staring at mirrors, anyhow.
While researchers haven’t developed any breakthrough mental health drugs in nearly three decades, new technological innovations are helping some patients connect with a therapist, get diagnosed… Here are just a sampling of them. Here are some samples of how „digital“ can help „traditional“ mental disorders:
1. MENTAL health APPS
MyPyschTest is an example of an online website platform that utilizes technology for these very purposes. Not only does the system connect patients to therapists and counselors, but it also uses smartphone apps to track emotions and lifestyle, providing real-time data, automated communication tools and alerts.
The features of MyPsychTES help professionals monitor patients’ progress and tailor treatment options effectively. It also aids patients in moving away from dark thoughts and provides positive affirmations or exercise routines through their mobile phones.
At this time, unlike the far-out proposals of science fiction, these technologies should be seen as supplementing, not replacing, other. Mental health apps have plenty of benefits, including convenience, anonymity, and a low price. But experts caution prospective users against using them as a stand-in for professional treatment, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Most aren’t backed by peer-reviewed research or clinical trials, partially because tech development moves faster than traditional scientific testing. Confidentiality is also a major issue, as many of these apps don’t adhere to standard healthcare privacy guidelines.
2. VIRTUAL-REALITY TREATMENTS
In addition to treating PTSD with medication, therapy, and exercise, some physicians use a technique called exposure therapy, which is designed to help patients relive trauma-related phenomena in a controlled, safe environment, such as a doctor’s office.
This helps patients get habituated to the memories so they no longer trigger flashbacks and anxiety. Scientists have tested VR as a tool for exposure therapy in clinical trials, and a handful of clinicians around the U.S. are now trained to use it in their practices.
Headsets whisk patients back in time using a combination of images and sounds. While wearing the headsets, subjects discuss past experiences with therapists until they become desensitized to the triggers before them.
3. A GOOGLE SCREENING THAT LETS YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE DEPRESSED
Google recently teamed up with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a nationwide grassroots mental health advocacy group, to offer a mental health screening questionnaire to U.S. residents who search for “depression” on their mobile phones. The top result is a box called a “knowledge panel,” which has information on depression, its symptoms, and potential treatments. To get screened, click the option “Check if you’re clinically depressed” to take a confidential, medically backed self-assessment quiz.
4. FISHER WALLACE SIMULATOR
Mental illness affects overall quality of life in a significant way. People who suffer from problems like depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often have trouble gettingrelief, with their options for treatment limited. Nearly 50% of people with PTSD are not receiving treatment, affecting their ability to deal with everyday activities and stressful situations.
The Fisher Wallace Stimulator is a wearable headband that can be used to treat depression, and may be helpful with PTSD as well. The headband uses electric current to stimulate the brain, which can help improve symptoms of depression. For people who do not want to take medication for the condition, these treatments may be an options for treatment limited. Nearly 50% of people with PTSD are not receiving treatment, affecting their ability to deal with everyday activities and stressful situations.
All of the tools we have available to us today are helping us to lead happier, healthier lives. A hundred years ago, we often had to guess about what would help increase our well-being. Today, technology can help motivate us, track our progress, diagnose, and treat health problems. This is only the beginning — technology gets smarter all the time, and will continue to help improve our physical and mental health.
