Not all the people in today’s time you see around are hundred per cent healthy. They may be hundred per cent fit, physically but mentally, many of them are dealing with depression & anxiety.

It has taken quite some time for us to understand that mental health is just as important as physical health and is one of the most delicate subjects in today’s time.

Researchers have suggested that mental health is going to be a significant burden to healthcare & mankind by 2030.

Unquestionably, we have come a long way in terms of awareness, importance and treatment of mental illness however we still have many hurdles to cross where technology is and will continue to assist us to make it more effective and impactful than ever before.

Recent advancements have suggested that channelling technology to better use in the aspect of mental health treatment is the way forward and here are some trends in health technology which will provide us with practical solutions to this issue:

1. Implementation of VR (Virtual Reality)

There are people where their mental illness is related or connected to a particular fear or incident related to that activity.

For eg, Fear of flying, fear of driving etc so here VR comes to the rescue and can be very useful by exposing people to what they fear in a virtual environment is a spectacular way of helping them overcome their fear and hence encourage better mental health.

2. Self-Management Apps

Technology has provided us with multiple apps which help people self-manage their mental health. It is equipped with features from which users will be able to monitor and manage their stress, anxiety, sleep problems, heart rate etc.

Users will be able to manage and get feedback on all these aspects which will contribute to their better mental health.

3. Use of Big data

With the availability of big data, mental health treatment software now have access to large chunks of data on user behaviour which will be very helpful in research and development of technological solutions of mental health treatment, therefore, the bottom line is the more people take help of the technology, the more they can access better data.

4. Social Media

We can already see the massive impact of social media to bring awareness and importance of mental illness just as other diseases are Videos, Instagram features like reels, stories, Facebook group community, LinkedIn community etc are few of the various social media features which are Widely used in a relatable manner to make people understand the types, triggers, importance and most importantly, the need to deal with their mental health issues.

5. Online Therapy is here

These days online therapy is available to anyone and any time of the day, which is one of the significant advancements in the health industry.

With the availability of many virtual & reliable therapy platforms, users will have easy access to therapists on any issue including relation counselling, career counselling, parenting etc. on one click.

Pros of technology in the future of mental health

• Awareness of the importance of mental health
• Technology has helped us in making people aware of mental health issues and how important they’re in the present times.
• Gone are the days when this was counted as a myth; people are now giving priority to their mental health issues and exploring treatment and creative ways to deal with it.
• Better service and much better reach
• Earlier because of various factors, people were not able to access healthcare services. Still, now with the rise of technology solutions available to us, more and more people can access it without any hassle.
• 24/7 availability
• Healthcare services are now available to us anytime and anywhere, which makes this factor one of the most important and a game-changer in the health technology industry.

(Written by Alka Verma, Resident Director at zamit)

Read: Remote learning unlikely to replace classroom-based learning, physical textbooks

Read: Online learning: 5 tools to hold virtual classes during the Covid-19 pandemic