Check out the episode through your favorite listening platform here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/podcastbyarmy/episodes/Podcast-by-ARMY-Ep-6-Burnt-Out-and-Overwhelmed-and-Traumatized-Oh–my-e29lkhs
Tag: mental health
On March 13, 2019, the announcement that Dwarf fortress was coming to Stream and itch.io with graphics hit the web. Within 12 hours, the teaser trailer on YouTube amassed over 100,000 views. Dwarf Fortress is the “most incredible and impressive video game you’ve probably never played.” News spread across the internet that the creators, Zach and Tarn Adams, normally quite private about their personal lives, made the decision to release on commercial platforms to create a more stable source of revenue for themselves. Their reason? The need to be able to afford healthcare. Lack of access to affordable healthcare, and societal stigmas surrounding health, negatively impact people’s lives every day. With Zach and Tarn’s backing, we are writing a series of blog articles to help raise awareness about these issues.
Our lives are becoming increasingly intertwined with digital technology. People and technology work in tandem to create the context in which we spend our daily lived experiences. We use technology to connect to one another, both in the workplace and during our recreational time. Not only are we using technology to better connect to one another, but also to be understand ourselves.
In the field of Human-Computer Interaction, there is a whole sub-field of ubiquitous computing or the study of computing technology being embedded throughout our lives and society. The ubiquity of technology has been leveraged to help people keep track of their health, in the workplace, and has been commercially very successful for recreational use (Pokemon Go, anyone?).
An emerging field of research is Digital Mental Health, but what does that mean, exactly?
One area of interest is technology that supports (and/or treats) those looking to improve their mental health. This includes mental health apps for a mobile phone or website based care, for example. Technology will not necessarily replace traditional face-to-face therapies, but they could potentially augment them. A therapist might not always be readily available, but an app on a phone could be. Understanding the best way to design these apps is only beginning to be addressed by the research community.
Along the same lines is studying interventions that include technology in and for a clinical setting. This might include creating applications specific for a hospital setting or for out-patient groups. Another example might be building measures and treatments into a electronic medical record system. Users of these kinds of interventions would go beyond just thinking of a “patient” with mental health needs, but also doctors, nurses, and so on. One of the biggest hurdles here is the actual implementation of these tools – getting everyone in the system to actual adopt the technology, maintain it, and continue to use it so that it is effective.
Additionally, understanding the problems that might arise in digital spaces that lead to mental health problems can fall under the purview of “digital mental health.” This might include exploring the potential of “addictive” technology or spending too much time in front of screens. Research in this area might also look at perceptions of technology and how that might impact their use (or abandonment). Further, using some kinds of technology, such as social media, has the potential to be detrimental to a person’s mental health. In my own research, I’ve found that interacting in digital spaces can open up individuals to harassment and bullying.
Finally, understanding how people are already using technology to support their mental health. This includes how people already use technology as tools to support themselves and their mental healthcare needs. Individuals interested in improving their mental health may be using technology in a variety of ways. This includes personal tracking, using other apps, and connecting with others via social media.
Today I slept in and woke up in time to attend the Student Research Competition presentations. They were very good and gave me some good insight into how I should think about my own future presentations.
I then ate lunch from the grocery store at the bottom of the convention center. It is Labor Day and many of the restaurants are closed, along with most of the shops as well. Yesterday, Amy gave me some really great advice about how to choose sessions. So I looked over the schedule and tried to be more deliberate about the sessions I was choosing.
After lunch I attended two sessions. The first was on Mental Health. I really liked all of the papers presented there. These included a discussion about personhood in dementia, using a mobile app to track elements in Bipolar Disorder, supporting caregivers of patients with depression, and objects to help with Dialectical Behavioral Training for those with Borderline Personality Disorder. The first paper had interesting insights about the sense of self. People often talk about it as if it is something you can lose, but perhaps it is better to think of it as something that can be externalized by the people around you. The app for Bipolar Disorder was interesting, of course, because of my closeness to that particular topic. The paper about depression was interesting because the study was conducted in Japan. There caregivers are reluctant to tell their close friends and family about their loved one suffering from depression. I wonder if the same would be true in the US. And finally, the paper on DBT was great because it is another topic dear to my heart. The researchers actually created physical objects to help patients understand and go through their DBT training. For instance, they created a crystal ball that pulses with the heartbeat of whoever is holding it. The ball can be personalized by embedding meaningful objects into the crystal. The user can hold this ball while doing their mindfulness exercises. It’s really fantastic and I would love to have one of my own!
The second session I attended was Design for Children. These papers were also very good. I learned a lot about how researchers can use children in the design process (for things that will ultimately be used by children). I got a good glimpse of the idea of Participatory Design, which I hadn’t really formally encountered before.
After the sessions I walked back to the hotel in a torrential downpour. Seems like a good evening to stay in a take it easy. I am on vacation in Paris, after all!
