We were recently introduced to an iPad app developed for the treatment of autism. Along the same lines, scientists at the Northwestern University have created 4 technological devices that claim to serve the purpose of a mental health therapist.
Firstly, the team has developed a smartphone that gauges the mood of the user. It achieves this by means of sensor data present inside the handset and comprehends the person’s location, levels of physical activity, mood as well as social context. This technology has been dubbed Mobilyze and is presently being tweaked. Essentially, the smartphone will offer support to users who are under depression and help them alter their actions in real time.
Psychologist David Mohr, director of the new Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, commented, “We’re inventing new ways technology can help people with mental health problems. The potential to reduce or even prevent depression is enormous.”
A medicine bottle currently in the production phase is expected to keep a check on patients consuming their dose of antidepressants and remind them accordingly. This virtual avenue could solve the difficulties of both, patients and doctors in terms of optimum treatment for depression.
Thirdly, a virtual programmable human that may enhance social skills of teens and adolescents is also underway. This avenue seeks to avert the onset of depression and provide assistance to those who have already succumbed to it. Notably, an online program that involves a human coach tracking the progress of cancer survivors is being developed by the team. This method may help reduce stress and depression among cancer survivors.
The aforesaid technologies are being developed to address mental health issues of individuals.