How Technology Can Help Facilitate Mental Health

Mental health has become a massive concern in today’s age of technology. Thankfully the technology that has everyone hooked has also found a way to alleviate mental conditions, fight mental sicknesses, addictions, and so on with data collection and tech-based diagnostics.

Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones, and tablets are opening more ways of monitoring progress and enhancing understanding of mental well-being.

New technology packaged in sophisticated apps can become a hassle-free contact for professional help. With a growing need for such apps and a growing need number of such providers, customers also have a variety of options.

How Technologies Can Help Mental Health 

Such apps can use the built-in sensors in the device to collect information about the user’s behavioural pattern and make certain deductions that can predict the nature of the issues the user faces in terms of mental health. Moreover, if the app detects a behaviour change, it may provide a signal that help is needed before a crisis occurs. 

Wearables

Wearables are a very popular tech-based solution used by people for mental health issues. Wearables are usually gadgets that you can wear on your wrist, in your ear, etc. Like the  Moonbeam One, which is a smart wristband that helps monitor the user’s emotional well-being. 

Thus whenever the user feels a strong change in mood, they can record the time that occurs at the click of a button. Bracelets, headgear, and smartphone apps like Apollo wearables can even be used for touch therapy to calm the user’s nervous system. There are also options like Oura, which monitors sleep and other biometrics.

Sensors in wearable devices are used to collect physiological data related to the mental state, enabling real-time monitoring and assessment of patients. Which can also be viewed and understood by the user. This system makes it easier to understand the problem by the user.

Virtual Reality

If people have certain phobias like claustrophobia, Fear of flying, or fear of driving. Instead of taking the risk of actually making them test their boundaries in this situation, VR can be used to overcome this fear. By exposing people to what they fear in a virtual environment, they can slowly overcome their fear and hence encourage better mental health can they would be able to overcome certain insecurity.

GamStop and Other Software

Among various mobile applications for mental health GamStop is different as it not only helps mental health but also gambling or gaming addiction which can be one of the causes of mental health. GamStop is essentially a free, self-exclusion scheme for people with online gaming or gambling issues. Gamblers who signup for their details and choose a duration to be banned from the gaming or gambling site can self-discipline themselves by trying to come out of their addiction and thus improve their mental health and productivity. 

They also provide Emotional Support, Free phone advice, National Gambling Helpline, confidential advice, and emotional support to anyone experiencing problems with gambling. And even have rehabilitation from Gambling addiction. On the other hand, Gap sites have become extremely popular because they are not on GamStop. This is because players do not like to wait too long to get access to their favourite games.

AI-driven Depression Diagnostics

With technology, certain apps and devices can be used to detect depression just by listening to someone speak a few sentences. Usually, the data collected in these apps monitor behaviour, and the moment there seems to be a change in the behavioural pattern, they can either direct to the nearest help centres or suggest remedies best suited to the user’s preference. It is almost like having a tech-enabled mother who has the unique ability to detect the slightest thing amiss in a child. 

Symptom Tracking

Rapid development has been seen in collecting data using the sensors built into smartphones which usually try to help the user with tracking their movement patterns, social interactions behaviour at different times and moods, and so on. It is hoped that in the future, with even more development, these apps may be able to analyze these data to accurately determine the user’s state of mind in real-time. 

Through this data analysis, symptoms of mental health issues can be obtained, which can become extremely useful for encouraging people to seek the correct help. An app course cannot replace mental health professionals, but it would be able to inform caregivers when a client needs further attention. 

Conclusion 

When the entire world is obsessively dependent on technology, people need to sit up and take notice of mental health issues as well. Either by connecting with the appropriate professional or by helping users develop essential habits, these apps have been able to bring hope for a technology that would help fight mental health issues.

However, this new technology brings with it a lot of uncertainty, especially because of the very little industry regulation and grave doubt about the affection of these tracking apps. Though following the correct trend of this, it can be expected with this would drastically improve with technology, and hi-tech solutions to everyday mental health issues would become easily available to people.