How mobile health applications can help treat depression. Issue 9 (September 2017) - Rosenfeld, Adam
Abstract : Despite increasing public awareness, depression remains a growing issue in health care. The impairing effects of depression can result in reduced quality of life, as well as significant health care costs and decreases to productivity. Unfortunately, research suggests that less than half of individuals with clinically significant depression are engaged in treatment, with barriers to evidence‐based therapy including cost, access, and stigma. Traditional approaches to treatment, which involve regular in‐person treatment with a clinician who is not part of your close community, present challenges in rural areas or among populations with high mobility with relocations that can create lapses in care. Over recent decades, technology has reshaped seemingly all aspects of daily life, with researchers, clinicians, and patient populations increasingly recognizing the ways that the provision of mental health services can be revolutionized to address key barriers to access.