Mobile phone applications are increasingly being developed and tested worldwide to help bolster treatment options for mental health patients, NPR’s “Morning Edition” reports.
Several studies are being conducted in countries such as Australia, Ireland and the U.S. to explore how the computing power of mobile phones can help patients monitor moods, follow treatment recommendations and manage stress.
According to researchers, the mobile applications can provide new insight into a patient’s emotional variability and promote patient participation in therapy sessions.
The applications are being used to target certain conditions, such as depression and schizophrenia. Some researchers hope eventually to expand use of the technology to treat anxiety, phobias, eating disorders and other mental health issues.
The segment includes comments from:
Mark Boechen of Griffith University in Queensland, Australia;
Judy Callan, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh;
Alan Delahunty, a psychotherapist from Galway, Ireland;
Margaret Morris, a clinical psychologist at Intel; and
Dimitri Perivoliotis, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania (Trudeau, “Morning Edition,” NPR, 5/24).
