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Treating mental health conditions naturally has a strong medical component, and there are several medications out there that can help patients with conditions like chronic anxiety and depression. However, perhaps even more important for mental health patients is the social networks that offer support, often when it is needed in an emergency. In other words, we are talking about communication. For mental health patients, medication is not even half the battle. Support is key, and support requires communication.
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New Communication Technology
It is perhaps fortunate then that most of the most popular and widespread technological innovations in today’s world revolve around better communication. The healthcare sector is no exception. In fact, communication technology in healthcare has opened entire new professional fields. Health Jobs Nationwide, a healthcare jobs recruitment service, says that there are now countless positions available which fall under the “telehealth” umbrella. These refer to remote healthcare provisions such as video calls with doctors and remote prescriptions.
For the same reason, there are now a range of innovative new healthcare tools which have found use among mental health patients. These are the tools that can really make a difference to the quality of patient treatment. In both cases, these are well worth checking out. Here then follows a brief list of top tools for mental health patients:
Digital Therapy Sessions
In just the same way remote video conferencing has been used to connect patients with doctors, video conferencing has found uses in therapy too. The wonderful thing about digital therapy sessions is that they simply make it easier for patients to get in touch with a health professional when they need it. For those suffering particularly severe conditions, this can mean the difference between being able to live at home and not.
Digital therapy sessions are also massively useful for reaching patients at a moment of crisis. And anybody working in mental healthcare will be aware that this can even be a common occurrence for some patients. Normally, such technologies take the form of apps, which are easy to use and can be downloaded onto the patients smartphone. BetterHelp is one such app that can connect patients to licensed therapists instantly, and there is TalkSpace too, which be used for ongoing care, guiding patients through coping mechanisms, meditations, and other means of staving off any mental health crisis before it happens.
Interactive Advice Apps
There are also a range of apps out there for mental health patients that do not connect them with a live therapist but offer interactive advice for patients based on their inputs. There is a truly massive number of such apps, and many of them cater to a specific condition. For example, there are apps that guide patients through PTSD, depression, and even smoking cessation. These apps are to be used by the patient independently and the benefit is just that – they offer the patient a degree of independence and help reduce their reliance on live communication.
Remote Prescriptions
Remote prescriptions usually come under the telehealth umbrella. Quick communication with doctors who are responsible for prescribing mental medication can be especially useful for some patients. Upon the improvement or worsening of symptoms, it is now possible for healthcare professionals to change dosage or even medication type and have it delivered to the patient remotely, sparing them a potentially stressful journey to a healthcare institution.
Just like everything else in healthcare, mental health provision is constantly being improved by technologies at the very forefront of innovation. Such technologies offer patients speedy help, a degree of independence, and ultimately the sense of dignity that we all need.
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