Technology in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders in Adolescents: The New Frontier
Takeaways
Many teens are taking advantage of today’s newfound technological availability by being online at a near constant basis, connecting with friends on social media, utilizing search engines for information, and pursuing various forms of entertainment.
This frequent use of the internet and social media may actually have very deleterious effects on a youth’s mental health.
By utilizing remote video conferencing, online communication, and other technologies to aid in the treatment of mental illnesses, healthcare providers can use a teenager’s already overwhelming online presence to reduce barriers and improve health outcomes.
Adolescence: Growing Up One Tap At A Time
Today’s social climate – that in which adolescents must grow from their cherubic naïveté into a healthy minded young adult – has drastically changed due to the recent technology boom of the 21st century. Social media platforms like Snapchat, Youtube, and Instagram allow adolescents to interact with one another instantaneously and constantly. In a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Institute, 44% of teenagers reported going online several times a day and 45% of respondents admitted to being online “almost constantly” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). This means that in 2018, almost 9 out of 10 adolescents were online multiple times a day, accessing social media sites, search engines, and/or “gaming” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). Interestingly, this same 2018 survey demonstrated that teenagers are not aligned in their views of how social media has affected their journey to adulthood. In fact, 45% felt social media had neither a positive nor negative effect on their lives (Anderson & Jiang, 2018).
However, the increasing prevalence of mental illness in adolescents may tell a different story. Multiple qualitative and quantitative studies have shed more light on this topic.
Mental Health: Emerging Trends in Mental Illness and Technology
Adolescents are now at risk for feeling isolated and being openly rejected by their peers at any time of the day or night and on multiple different platforms with recent technological advancements. Feeling acceptance by peers and finding connectedness is an important aspect of adolescence which makes teenagers especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of technology (Mir, Novas, & Seymour, 2020). While causation has not been confirmed, there is research to support the correlation between the rise of social media sites and the increase of mental illnesses in adolescents (Mir, Novas, & Seymour, 2020). The overuse of social media can lead to sleep deprivation, online harassment, cyberbullying, and formation of distracting habits, all of which can further increase the risk for mental illness in an already vulnerable population (Hagan, Shaw, & Duncan, 2017).
Treatment: Can You Hear Me Now?
What can be done to aid the teens in these tumultuous times? Since 95% of people between the ages of 13 to 17 own a smartphone or have access to one, the solution lies in the problem: utilizing technology (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). Healthcare providers can gain new modalities of communication and novel ways to support adolescents from afar. Most computers and smartphones include video technology which means real time video conferencing, known as telehealth, is an accessible, relatively inexpensive option for treatment (Magnavita, 2018).
In fact, adolescents want technology involved in their healthcare. A Canadian study found that many adolescents reported a preference for telehealth and other alternative delivering strategies when accessing mental health services (Boydell et al, 2014). Another recent study found that adolescents actually prefer the use of technology – like email or texting – for communication in between visits as well (Radovic, 2017). A video conference or web based interaction can eliminate many barriers to seeking mental health services, like organizing travel logistics and overcoming the unease of a clinic setting. In this way, technology can create a comforting, open visit environment that empowers the teenager to take control of their illness – essentials to a successful outcome (Boydell et al, 2014).
Outcomes
In 2013, the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Health Institute of Mental Health coordinated an expert panel to analyze mental health behavioral intervention technologies (Mohr, Burns, Schueller, Clarke, & Kinkman). The results supported web based interventions in the use of treating a broad range of mental health illnesses and encouraged the use of video conferencing (Mohr et al., 2013). Overall, the panel concluded that “virtual reality has shown good efficacy for anxiety and pediatric disorders”(Mohr et al., 2013, p. 1). The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry argues that telehealth may even be more effective when treating ADHD and other severe mood disorders in children when an otherwise unavailable specialist would become an option (2017).
Research: Are Apps the Future?
There is still much to explore about this new virtual field. The National Institute of Mental Health is investigating how to improve mental health treatment with the use of smartphone apps (2019). With the development of a “crisis center” app, adolescents are able to connect immediately and find aid with just a single tap of a finger (NIMH, 2019). Also working to avoid poor outcomes altogether, the NIMH is showing promise with passive symptom tracking apps that can predict mood episodes, like mania or depression spells, by analyzing the activity on phones (NIMH, 2019). In creating these apps, the negative effects often associated with mental illness exacerbations may be mitigated by early identification and subsequent attention from a healthcare provider.
Boydell, K. M., Hodgins, M., Pignatiello, A., Teshima, J., Edwards, H., & Willis, D. (2014). Using technology to deliver mental health services to children and youth: a scoping review. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry = Journal de l’Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent, 23(2), 87–99.
Hagan, J. F., Shaw, J. S., & Duncan, P. M. (2017). Promoting the Health and Safe Use of Social Media. In Bright futures: Guidelines for health supervision of infants, children, and adolescents (pp. 229-234). Elk Grove Village, IL, IL: Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics.
Magnavita, J. J. (2018). How Can Technology Advance Mental Health Treatment? [Introduction]. In Using Technology in Mental Health Practice (pp. 3-10). Washington, DC, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0000085-001
Mohr, D. C., Burns, M. N., Schueller, S. M., Clarke, G., & Klinkman, M. (2013). Behavioral intervention technologies: evidence review and recommendations for future research in mental health. General hospital psychiatry, 35(4), 332–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2013.03.008
Radovic, A., McCarty, C. A., Katzman, K., & Richardson, L. P. (2018). Adolescents’ Perspectives on Using Technology for Health: Qualitative Study. JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 1(1), e2. https://doi.org/10.2196/pediatrics.8677
Technology in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders in Adolescents: The New Frontier
Takeaways
Adolescence: Growing Up One Tap At A Time
Today’s social climate – that in which adolescents must grow from their cherubic naïveté into a healthy minded young adult – has drastically changed due to the recent technology boom of the 21st century. Social media platforms like Snapchat, Youtube, and Instagram allow adolescents to interact with one another instantaneously and constantly. In a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Institute, 44% of teenagers reported going online several times a day and 45% of respondents admitted to being online “almost constantly” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). This means that in 2018, almost 9 out of 10 adolescents were online multiple times a day, accessing social media sites, search engines, and/or “gaming” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). Interestingly, this same 2018 survey demonstrated that teenagers are not aligned in their views of how social media has affected their journey to adulthood. In fact, 45% felt social media had neither a positive nor negative effect on their lives (Anderson & Jiang, 2018).
However, the increasing prevalence of mental illness in adolescents may tell a different story. Multiple qualitative and quantitative studies have shed more light on this topic.
Mental Health: Emerging Trends in Mental Illness and Technology
Adolescents are now at risk for feeling isolated and being openly rejected by their peers at any time of the day or night and on multiple different platforms with recent technological advancements. Feeling acceptance by peers and finding connectedness is an important aspect of adolescence which makes teenagers especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of technology (Mir, Novas, & Seymour, 2020). While causation has not been confirmed, there is research to support the correlation between the rise of social media sites and the increase of mental illnesses in adolescents (Mir, Novas, & Seymour, 2020). The overuse of social media can lead to sleep deprivation, online harassment, cyberbullying, and formation of distracting habits, all of which can further increase the risk for mental illness in an already vulnerable population (Hagan, Shaw, & Duncan, 2017).
Treatment: Can You Hear Me Now?
What can be done to aid the teens in these tumultuous times? Since 95% of people between the ages of 13 to 17 own a smartphone or have access to one, the solution lies in the problem: utilizing technology (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). Healthcare providers can gain new modalities of communication and novel ways to support adolescents from afar. Most computers and smartphones include video technology which means real time video conferencing, known as telehealth, is an accessible, relatively inexpensive option for treatment (Magnavita, 2018).
In fact, adolescents want technology involved in their healthcare. A Canadian study found that many adolescents reported a preference for telehealth and other alternative delivering strategies when accessing mental health services (Boydell et al, 2014). Another recent study found that adolescents actually prefer the use of technology – like email or texting – for communication in between visits as well (Radovic, 2017). A video conference or web based interaction can eliminate many barriers to seeking mental health services, like organizing travel logistics and overcoming the unease of a clinic setting. In this way, technology can create a comforting, open visit environment that empowers the teenager to take control of their illness – essentials to a successful outcome (Boydell et al, 2014).
Outcomes
In 2013, the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Health Institute of Mental Health coordinated an expert panel to analyze mental health behavioral intervention technologies (Mohr, Burns, Schueller, Clarke, & Kinkman). The results supported web based interventions in the use of treating a broad range of mental health illnesses and encouraged the use of video conferencing (Mohr et al., 2013). Overall, the panel concluded that “virtual reality has shown good efficacy for anxiety and pediatric disorders”(Mohr et al., 2013, p. 1). The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry argues that telehealth may even be more effective when treating ADHD and other severe mood disorders in children when an otherwise unavailable specialist would become an option (2017).
Research: Are Apps the Future?
There is still much to explore about this new virtual field. The National Institute of Mental Health is investigating how to improve mental health treatment with the use of smartphone apps (2019). With the development of a “crisis center” app, adolescents are able to connect immediately and find aid with just a single tap of a finger (NIMH, 2019). Also working to avoid poor outcomes altogether, the NIMH is showing promise with passive symptom tracking apps that can predict mood episodes, like mania or depression spells, by analyzing the activity on phones (NIMH, 2019). In creating these apps, the negative effects often associated with mental illness exacerbations may be mitigated by early identification and subsequent attention from a healthcare provider.
Interested in Learning More?
NIMH » Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment
NIMH » A BRIGHT Technological Future for Mental Health Trials
Social Media and Health Care Professionals: Benefits, Risks, and Best Practices
Using social media to engage adolescents and young adults with their health
Clinical Report—The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families abstract
References
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) (2017, June). Delivery of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services Through Telepsychiatry. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Policy_Statements/2017/Delivery_of_Child_and_Adolescent_Psychiatry_Services_Through_Telepsychiatry.aspx
Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018, May 31). Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/
Boydell, K. M., Hodgins, M., Pignatiello, A., Teshima, J., Edwards, H., & Willis, D. (2014). Using technology to deliver mental health services to children and youth: a scoping review. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry = Journal de l’Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent, 23(2), 87–99.
Hagan, J. F., Shaw, J. S., & Duncan, P. M. (2017). Promoting the Health and Safe Use of Social Media. In Bright futures: Guidelines for health supervision of infants, children, and adolescents (pp. 229-234). Elk Grove Village, IL, IL: Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics.
Magnavita, J. J. (2018). How Can Technology Advance Mental Health Treatment? [Introduction]. In Using Technology in Mental Health Practice (pp. 3-10). Washington, DC, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/0000085-001
Mir, E., Novas, C., & Seymour, M., PhD. (2020, August 21). Social Media and Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Mental Health. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.center4research.org/social-media-affects-mental-health
Mohr, D. C., Burns, M. N., Schueller, S. M., Clarke, G., & Klinkman, M. (2013). Behavioral intervention technologies: evidence review and recommendations for future research in mental health. General hospital psychiatry, 35(4), 332–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2013.03.008
The National Institute of Mental Health (2019, September). Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/technology-and-the-future-of-mental-health-treatment/index.shtml
Radovic, A., McCarty, C. A., Katzman, K., & Richardson, L. P. (2018). Adolescents’ Perspectives on Using Technology for Health: Qualitative Study. JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 1(1), e2. https://doi.org/10.2196/pediatrics.8677
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