Telemedicine and tele-assistance to deal with mental disorders, studies
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The prevalence of mental disorders and disorders is a growing problem worldwide. Aggravated by the way, as seen, from the Covid-19 pandemic. Telemedicine e teleservice they can also play a crucial role in psychological support, as recent studies show.
Mental health and disorders
Mental health is defined as' lo state of well-being that allows people to understand their abilities, solve problems that arise daily, work at their best and contribute significantly to the well-being of people who are part of a community'. (1)
Unusual personal situations, including the onset of diseases, can lead to a reduction in the state of psychological well-being and the need for support interventions. Which are often not accepted, due to difficulty in recognizing the need for help but also out of shame. (2)
Prevention and online therapy, the first findings
Psychological support is undergoing a radical transformation, thanks to the increasing use of digital relationship tools. Computer, smartphone and other device digital technologies help professionals to interact with people in need of support, who in turn are able to more easily overcome some barriers (physical and mental) in accessing services. (3)
The project iCare, funded by the European Community, has recently analyzed the effectiveness of distance treatments for mental health (Taylor et al., 2020). The therapies online they were found to be more effective on some of the more frequent ailments such as depression and anxiety. Conversely, less effective on eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) and addictions. Furthermore, according to the researchers, the development of new applications could help identify specific strategies for various psychological problems. (4)
Support to caregiver family
I caregiver family members, how it is noted several times, they are the heroes of a society that relies on them without acknowledging anything. In the cases of severe disabilities and less severe, i caregiver among other things, they help reduce hospital admissions. (5) But they themselves run the risk of physical and mental wear and tear (burnout), without a support network, especially in case of mental problems of loved ones. (6)
Teleservice it can also represent an important opportunity to help caregiver who often feel abandoned to themselves and have little access to forms of help in the presence also for the need not to distance themselves from their loved one. The already demonstrated effectiveness of these assistance systems online indicates the need for implementation and enhancement to improve achievable results. (7)
Covid-19 and mental health
The pandemic Covid-19, with its catastrophic social and economic effects, has exacerbated mental disorders globally. The lockdown forced the drastic interruption of routine, causing widespread uncertainty and fear. Remote counseling has been providential to ensure continuous assistance for the most needy people. (8)
Psychological counseling online has proven useful in favor of those who developed or accentuated psychological problems during and after lockdown, but also of health professionals. They can thus prepare themselves for confrontation with difficult patients and ensure better service, especially for disadvantaged categories such as the elderly or psychiatric patients. (9)
Elderly people e digital divide
Seniors they are one of the most fragile and in need of support. As we age, mental problems can accentuate and trigger others. Including malnutrition which, as seen, in turn, is the cause of various pathologies.
Internet it is a potentially formidable tool to reach people in their homes who are often neglected and therefore increase the sense of loneliness, the loss of hope. And it is therefore necessary to intervene on the digital divide, that is, to ensure the availability and to instruct the use of tools such as tablets e smartphone. (10)
Social media, the two sides of the coin
I social media integrate the daily life of an extraordinary number of users. In the personal and work sphere, for information and sociality. Their effects, particularly on young people, can be beneficial as well as negative. Their improper use can in fact cause or aggravate mental disorders, as observed in several scientific studies. (11)
The debate on the impact of social media on mental health is not going to resolve itself anytime soon. All the more in the face of the asymmetry of knowledge on neuromarketing and influence marketing. The social networking - ie the creation of social networks on the website - represents in any case a crucial element in the influence of one's mental health, according to the quality and quantity of the relationships established. (12)
Dario Dongo and Andrea Adelmo Della Penna
Note
(1) WHO, World Health Organization (2004) The world health report 2004 - changing history. https://www.who.int/whr/2004/en/report04_en.pdf?ua=1
(2) Falloon (2003). Family interventions for mental disorders: efficacy and effectiveness. World Psychiatry 2 (1): 20-28
(3) Fairburn et al. (2017) The impact of digital technology on psychological treatments and their dissemination. Behav. Res. Ther. 88: 19-25, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.08.012
(4) Taylors et al. (2020). Current state of scientific evidence on Internet-based interventions for the treatment of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyzes. European Journal of Public Health 1-8, doi: 10.1093 / eurpub / ckz208
(5) Brodaty et al. (2003). Meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions for caregivers of people with dementia. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 51 (5): 657-664, https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0579.2003.00210.x
(6) Magliano et al. (2005). Family burden in long-term diseases: a comparative study in schizophrenia vs. physical disorders. Social Science & Medicine 61 (2): 313-322, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.11.064
(7) Spencer et al. (2019) Internet-based interventions for carers of individuals with psychiatric disorders, neurological disorders, or brain injury: systematic review. J. Med. Internet Res. 21 (7): e10876, doi: 10.2196 / 10876
(8) Parish (2020). The next pandemic: COVID-19 mental health pandemic. Perspect Psychiatric Care 56: 485, doi: 10.1111 / ppc.12571
(9) Talevi et al. (2020) The mental health outcomes of the CoViD-19 pandemic. Rev. Psychiatr. 55 (3): 137-144, doi: 10.1708 / 3382.33569
(10) Seraphs et al. (2020) Aged patients with mental disorders in the COVID-19 era: The experience of Northern Italy. Am. J. of Geriatric Psychiatry 28 (7): 794-795, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.04.015
(11) Karim et al. (2020) Social media use and its connection to mental health: a systematic review. Cureus 12(6):e8627, doi:10.7759/cureus.8627
(12) Berryman et al. (2017) Social media use and mental health among young adults. Psychiatric Quarterly 89: 307-314, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-017-9535-6
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in Food Technology and Biotechnology, licensed food technologist, he follows the research and development area of Wiise Srl, a benefit company.
