Technology in mental health: Creating new knowledge and inventing the future of services

Abstract

The mental health services now in place are intrinsically linked with the technology that has been at our disposal for decades of research and practice. Advancements in Web, mobile, sensor, and informatics technology can do more than serve as tools to enhance existing models of care. Novel technologies can help us better understand the very nature of mental illness and revise our fundamental assumptions about the structure, boundaries, and modalities of mental health treatment. Recognizing the unprecedented opportunities new technology offers to improve the outcomes of people with mental illness, Psychiatric Services announces a new column on technology and mental health.