Goa: Given the stigma that surrounds it, mental health is often ignored or at best given a step-motherly treatment. Mental health experts and information technology entrepreneurs argue that technology has the potential to make significant (and cost-effective) contribution to mental healthcare, especially in poorer countries, which have seen a huge increases in mobile phone usage in recent years.

Technology, provides a cost-effective solution to help address the gaps in mental healthcare, while simultaneously overcoming the stigma attached, said psychiatrists at the recently held conference organized by Sangath to mark 20 years of mental health research.

Speaking at the conference, Penn State University professor Michelle Newman highlighted how the Mana Maali student wellness initiative has helped tackle anxiety and distress among BITS Pilani students on the Goa campus.

“What we have been doing has been an attempt to disseminate technologically mobile interventions to college students that focus on anxiety. For technological innovation, it is really important to look at how to personalize the intervention,” Newman said, on the sidelines of the conference.

While healthcare in the country is far from adequate, professional care for mental health is largely nascent, especially in the rural sector. Startups and IT innovators can fill-in here.

“Healthcare is delivered at various levels in India. The coordination between primary health service providers and the last mile tertiary care providers is where there are a lot of gaps and that is where technology can play a role to fill those gaps,” said India Country Lead for Medic Mobile Shreya Bhatt.

Technology can help screening of mental illnesses, identification of risk factors, behaviour change communication in cases of depression and substance abuse, remote patient support and inventory management.

Source: The Times of India