Link – Most mental health apps lack any scientific evidence, says study

I am fascinated by technology, and the possible impact it can have in helping those of us struggling with our mental health. While there are a lot of things being experimented with, and lots of apps available the truth is we are still so early on in this journey, that we really don’t know much yet.

“The idea behind it certainly makes sense, but human behavior, human emotion, and people are complex,” Dr. John Torous, co-director of the Digital Psychiatry Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, previously told Fast Company. “How much can these conversational agents really understand? What can they really respond to? When do they work well, and when do they not work well?”

We don’t know the answer to Dr. Tourus questions, because it’s too soon to tell. Because of that, we should be wary of leaving it up to apps to treat people alone. At least until they can show some significant success, and the proper research to back it.

On the other hand, we need to be doing this research. We need to be looking into any and every possible treatment option, because we simply don’t have enough resources available right now. We’re leaving too many people with no options, and that’s not good enough.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90325600/most-mental-health-apps-lack-any-scientific-backing