They have definitely transformed the way we live, our habits and our customs, but have you ever stopped to think about the therapeutic use of new technologies?
Now we can’t leave the house without our smartphone and we constantly review our messaging and social networks, the new technologies came to stay, among other reasons because we are already building a part of our life around these tools.
- There are many nostalgics who deny this new form of communication and all that entails.
- But one thing is undeniable: with new technologies.
- Can our quality of life be?And not necessarily already? Much better.
- In the field of psychology.
- The therapeutic use of new technologies is increasingly present.
In some situations they are used because they reduce expenses, because they reconcile therapy with the lives of patients who are very busy or constantly traveling, or because with them you can simulate different situations of exposure of human beings with a great mastery of In this sense, the technological tools of psychology begin to be applied to perform therapies with different disorders , such as phobias, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
From the point of view of cognitive behavioral psychological current, one of the strategies for “treating” phobias is exposure to the object of phobia. In the case of some phobias, actual exposure can be complicated or very dangerous, but the therapeutic use of new technologies can simulate this situation; for example, the phobia of flying is used to use flight simulators that are very similar to those used by pilots in their practices.
Virtual reality can be a useful way to make successive approaches to the object or situation we fear, it is possible to apply this strategy with phobias to animals, high places or speak in public, these kinds of strategies are increasingly used thanks to the fact that technology allows us to immerse ourselves in an increasingly realistic virtual world.
Another advantage of its use is the possibility to continue treatment at home. Even if technology doesn’t replace a therapist, is it possible to send “tasks”?to do at home. It is a resource that can be economical in time and sometimes in money, as well as the use of a flight simulator. It’s not the only tool used to combat phobias, but it can be a good addition to therapy.
Cognitive stimulation is a type of intervention that aims to perform cognitive functions, this strategy can be used to strengthen or improve functions affected by a pathology, usually used in dementia, with memory, language or cognitive functions being the most worked aspects.
A lot of cognitive stimulation programs have been developed using tablets and computers, initially dementia was the main goal, but is now being applied to other conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, strokes or head trauma. very versatile and allows customization of tasks at low cost.
For some sectors of the population, such as the elderly, the use of new technologies is a form of stimulation in itself, as they need to familiarize themselves with their use. There are several scientific studies that support the use of cognitive stimulation with new technologies and these are used in many nursing homes, showing positive results.
Like everything around us, technology promises to be increasingly present in the field of psychological therapies, for example, today there are psychologists who offer Skype therapy sessions or specific applications already developed to follow our mood. several applications that promise to contribute to our mental health, in this sense the most important thing in the face of this growing offer is to know how to identify those that can be useful in our lives
Not all applications fulfill the original promise of improving our mental health, when using such tools it is important to look for studies that support what they want to sell us, in any case an application can never replace a professional. They will be useful as tools or resources, facilitators or enhancers of the effects of therapy, but they will never be the same as a psychologist.
Finally, the role of technology in the administration of psychometric tests should be emphasized, in this sense technology can significantly accelerate the analysis phase, the advantage of these computerized tests is that they give the result immediately, in this way the psychologist no longer needs to correct the test, only to interpret the results and relate them to those of other tests or evaluation tools , in this way the professional can dedicate this extra time to a more accurate assessment.