What Are Your Current Research Directions?
Dr. Markiewicz Sendler: I am generally interested in understanding how the use of online technologies impacts mental health. In particular, I want to know to what extent people utilize different services, how they see the information that is being provided to them but also looking at how all of us prioritize the types of information that are available online.
Ultimately, I hope to be able to see how different categories of health advice that people can find online impacts their health decision making. This is especially relevant in the practice of Mental Health, where there are different kinds of issues, and psychiatric distresses that can affect everyday functioning. Some of these health problems are more profound than others. And we need to know whether access to the health information on the internet improves or impairs people’s willingness to participate in treatment.
I am also interested in knowing how we can extend this knowledge of people’s processing of health information that they find on the internet in everyday clinical practice in inpatient and outpatient mental health services. While it would be ideal for most people to come and see mental health professionals in person, It is clear that in the age of technology, we are all becoming more convenient, and seek novel opportunities to receive counseling.
The most recent trend has been the development of various therapy apps. But we don’t know to what extent these kinds of therapies are useful. And we don’t also know other people that might have more delicate, underlying psychological problems are benefiting from those applications in some novel ways, or that perhaps not all of the expectations are being addressed.
Are Online E-Therapy Applications the Future of Psychiatric Treatment?
Damian Jacob Sendler : Not really, because while dealing with depression or anxiety might be one of the most commonly heard mental health issues that people in our society and around the world are dealing with, there are sometimes much deeper health problems that predicate specific psychiatric symptoms.
I see mental health apps and counseling apps as sort of an extension of typical clinical treatments. I think where applications are practical is that they offer this form of access to therapy that’s available to many people because of the decreased cost, and they also destigmatize access to care. Stigmatization of psychiatry continues to be a big problem for most people. Many of us do not want to come forward and admit that we might need extra help when issues with our mental well being become overwhelming. Therefore, it is essential to look for alternatives and novel ways of supplying counseling through digital technologies. But obviously, the core of proper mental health treatment lies in regular clinical practice provided by psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers.
Is There Any Research That Evaluates Which Health Applications Are Legitimate?
Damian Jacob Sendler: There are comparative studies that look at different applications in a particular time and space, and sort of can tell which ones are better than others. The obvious issue is that the market for online applications and mobile applications that offer mental health support is growing. One of the more prominent groups of apps as those that fall into the category of meditation, another one falls into the category of diet and exercise.
Now, some people might see these as distinct categories. Still, when you read into the descriptions of these applications, you notice the gaps in services they claim to provide. Therefore, there is a lot of overlap in these apps. Not all of them are as transparent about their mission and sort of prospective goals that, you know, they’re trying to market to people that download them and have them pay for advanced subscription services.
Should Scientists Design Applications That Provide E-Therapy?
Damian Jacob Sendler: I believe that the knowledge and experience that scientists can bring to the table is incredible- necessary in designing any kind of health-oriented application. Being a scientist isn’t sufficient. I think that people need to have training in medicine to be more competent than evaluating the usefulness of different services and approaches to marketing them.
I think there’s a need to essentially create teams of healthcare professionals that can do those things. These mixed groups of professionals can look at different mental health problems from different perspectives and offer various sources of inspiration for how we can better serve people with specific health problems. There is always disagreement about the particular mission of different applications for promoting mental health well being but ultimately comes down to designing the software that genuinely addresses You know, most common issues plaguing the society which are typically depression, anxieties, post-traumatic stress, and integrating various experiences can, you know from different groups of scholars and clinical providers can address those issues.
This is an open market, and anyone and everyone can design applications. However, I do think that when people attempt to promote health products, they should go through some sort of verification process where a specifically designated authority can say that this application is eligible to provide specific health treatments or health advice because ultimately comes down to people and how negative or positive effects specific applications of health products might have on their well being.
It is also worth thinking about the application of e-therapy to treating complicated mental health problems. More about this in future posts.
