Smart tools boost mental-health care

摘要

Portable electronic devices such as smart phones and virtual-reality headsets provide clinicians with a powerful tool for improving evidence-based psychological treatments (see Nature 511,287-289; 2014). For example, they offer patients more-frequent access to therapy and are likely to boost compliance. Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, for instance, is effective for conditions such as depression and anxiety. Immersive virtual reality helps for some phobias, including fear of flying and fear of heights, and holds promise for conditions such as eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (see G. Riva CyberPsychol. Behav. 8,220-230; 2005).