Mental health is a serious, serious topic in the world right now. Affecting millions of people around the globe, the rate of depression & anxiety is growing at an alarming rate!
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one out of every 20 people is battling depression, which means around 350 million people worldwide. And another 260 million struggling with anxiety.
By 2030, combating depression will become the world’s largest medical burden, the WHO said.
So can you understand the depths of mental illness in our digital world?
Also, it is a known fact that people in urban civilization deals with mental health a lot more frequently than those residing in the countryside or rural areas!
Then why aren’t more people taking it seriously?
Well, there can be a few reasons for that.
First, mental health has a certain amount of stigma attached to it. People are quick to use phrases like “oh you are just sad” or “Chill out! It is just a phase.”
Things like these can affect the victim of depression, bipolar or PTSD or any mental illness for that matter.
Second, comes the cost. The cost of treating illnesses like PTSD or depression can be extremely high. A single session with a psychiatrist can cost a couple of hundred dollars. And unlike a few other physical illnesses, mental illness is not something you solve with some medicines or tests.
It takes time & patience.
Moreover, people dealing with illness like severe schizophrenia, or say bipolar disorder has a high risk of losing their working ability which makes it even more difficult to continue with the treatment.
Third is the time management.
As I mentioned earlier, these kinds of treatments require patience. And people in the metro cities are so caught up with their lifestyle that it is simply impossible to invest time towards their mental health.
Suppose, you are in a meeting at the office & suddenly you feel a panic attack. Where do you find a specialist at that moment? Like, right there when you need the most?
Well, however contradictory it may sound, but technology is, in fact, doing some major innovations to help people coping with mental disorders.
How you may ask?
Apps to cope with mental illness
Well, it’s true that there are far fewer apps for mental health as compared to physical health apps.
But there are quite an impressive number of apps targeted at users with specific conditions like anxiety, schizophrenia, or depression, and are designed to assuage and manage symptoms, track moods and thoughts, or help individuals stick with treatments.
There are apps aimed at improving memory, coping, and thinking skills, or managing stress through meditation or mindfulness.
But you need to be careful while using these apps. It is best to consult a doctor before downloading an app. Read the reviews.
The most trustworthy are typically affiliated with academic research institutions or government agencies, according to the American Psychological Association.
Finding supports through Internet-based support groups
Social media has a big influence in this regard.
People are able to find community not only for addictions or cancer support, but there are also support groups for battling depression, anxiety, bipolar, ADHD & whatnot.
Soldiers often find hard to deal with civil life because most of them are dealing with PTSD. There are support groups solely for them to help them cope with life.
Even, Sun noted that the site offers Talkabouts, which allow users to communicate with one another, as well as “educational resources and courses led by mental-health professionals.”
It is really helpful when you know that other people are going through the same struggles as yours!
Behavioral trackers
Imagine a situation.
You are in the middle of your promotion party. You are enjoying it, drinking, dancing, having a great time.
Suddenly you get a gut-wrenching feeling in your stomach, feel sick & know you are going to have an anxiety attack.
But you can’t just leave the whole party. Now you are stuck in this painful situation!
It can be bad. But now there are trackers to indicate mood swings or anxiety even before they manifest.
Researchers are also working to harness mobile technology to detect suicidal inclinations, burgeoning manic episodes, or depressive episodes.
One-on-one online therapy
Pretty easy & convenient for people who have a busy life & cannot make out time for themselves.
Some services or platforms allow users to connect with therapists via voice or video on a computer or phone.
Also, there is often a shortage of mental health professionals in some areas or the cost is very high. There are text-based services that allow patients to chat 24/7 with a minimum monthly fee.
Virtual Reality Treatments
There is a new therapy developed recently for treating PTSD patients.
It is the exposure therapy designed to help patients relive trauma-related phenomena in a controlled, safe environment, such as a doctor’s office.
This helps patients get habituated to the memories so they no longer trigger flashbacks and anxiety.
Even a Yale scientist is using video games & VR to treat people with borderline personality disorder, which is a condition where people suffer from social rejection, have a distorted sense of self, and are prone to extreme mood swings.
Software to find at-risk patients
Some insurance companies are using cloud-based software platforms to review electronic medical records to identify patients having a risk of developing mental illnesses.
Then, they can connect them with specialist treatments through a network of behavioral health specialists.
Do you know that recently Google has teamed up with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), to offer a mental health screening questionnaire to U.S. residents who search for the term “depression” on their mobile phones?
There is an option “Check if you’re clinically depressed” where to can take confidential, medically approved assessment test.
Are you looking to develop an app for managing mental health issues? Connect with us at Skyram Technologies for app development as per your requirement.
Also, for more such blogs, read here!
