This article is based in part on trends outlined in the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® report Five Technology Trends to Watch.
Overview
The capabilities of technology are now helping to combat the stigmas surrounding mental health and making therapy more accessible.
Though much of the health technology industry focuses on treating physical illnesses, from high blood pressure to cancer, technological advances have also increased access to mental health services, making mental well-being a priority.
One in five adults lives with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. But in the U.S., only 19.8 million people of the 46.6 million adults with a mental illness sought treatment in 2017.
There is a clear need that technology can address in providing better and more access to mental health providers and solutions.
Growth and Acceptance
As consumers become both more aware of and more equipped with personal health connected devices and services, technology has the ability to reach more patients and make a difference.
Increasingly, consumers are willing to share personal health data with their physicians and speak more openly about their information. The standardization of software in wearables and health care apps will also further alleviate doubts in telemedicine.
The diversity and advancement of tech such as digital therapeutics has also allowed developers to focus on solutions for complex problems like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or addiction.
Helping Us Thrive
Digital therapeutics is putting control into the hands of the patient and providing unprecedented solutions. Integration with patient-facing apps and clinical dashboards solves a mental health provider shortage and opens up new ways for patients to get help. Telepsychiatry has provided primary care physicians and psychiatrists the opportunity to collaborate, resulting in improvements in patients with depression and anxiety.
Patients have reached goals and sought continued treatment from the comfort of whatever location they choose with new tech innovations such as:
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Virtual therapy diagnostics tools that offer PTSD screenings to veterans
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Virtual reality display technology that helps calm anxiety and PTSD symptoms
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Mobile apps for cognitive behavioral therapy to treat addiction and dependencies
Keeping It Private and Personal
Significant in digital therapeutics solutions is the greater privacy and sense of anonymity that comes with them. Patients are empowered to take guided steps to address mental health challenges without needing to see a professional, minimizing the discomfort and vulnerability of face-to-face consultations.
Users of a virtual therapy tool reported feeling safer having an open conversation with the tool, knowing they would not be judged for being honest.
Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® research predicts that digital therapeutics will continue to grow, paving the way for better and more efficient treatment, monitoring and support for mental well-being needs.
Tech is on the path to get people more involved in their active treatment, providing solutions to some of our heaviest, most pressing challenges.
Learn more about how tech is tackling therapy in CTA’s Five Technology Trends to Watch.