Mental Health Aspects of Information Technology

Abstract

Abstract Information technology has permeated every single aspect of social life in the current age. Access to information through different forms of media is an indispensable part of daily life. Sharing information instantly and in real time with many people has changed human communication patterns since the advent of social media and smartphones in the first decade of the twenty-first century. This chapter presents an overview of how these new patterns have impacted mental health in terms of pathology, access to care, and treatment. Advances in videoconferencing technology have certainly improved provision of high-quality mental health treatment to rural areas. Smartphone applications have tremendous value in the process of obtaining real-time data about symptoms and also processing them for easy review during the appointments. They can also be utilized to assist treatment, especially for psychotherapy. Research is underway to screen individuals’ mental status by how they interact with their smartphones.