User:Fmvra1s/sandbox

User:fmvra1s/sandbox

Mobile apps and web based treatment
A smartphone application called PTSD Coach has been downloaded over 130,000 times in 178 countries across the globe. Within the app, there are several questionnaires to assist in the diagnosis and understanding of PTSD. As a learning tool, PTSD Coach was shown to be highly effective in teaching users about triggers, symptoms, and certain types of negative feelings. This is one example of the wealth of scientific/psychological knowledge that is now in the hands of the everyday person as well as those of trained mental health professionals. Developing these apps allows programmers to draw on tired-and-true methods like CBT and utilize them in more clinical settings. A 2014 case study yielded results that indicated many potential benefits. For instance, using one’s smartphone is public is considered normal behavior. This lessens stigma that may stem from the thought of visiting a mental health professional or from attending some kind of support group. The majority of the participants who were involved indicated their acceptance and the perceived helpfulness of PTSD Coach as a therapeutic self-management tool. Self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation are central to the successful use of apps like this one. “The promise of smartphone apps to address mental health problems is vast .” A 2013 case study of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) used a web-based treatment method for PTSD called “VetChange.” By recruiting 600 participants through targeted Facebook ads, they sought to treat alcoholic symptoms, which are often comorbid with PTSD. The benefits of using VetChange include personalized feedback, the creation of lists of desired outcomes, and the development of plans for change. Other goals of the project included mood management, stress management, anger management, and improvements in sleep quality. Completion of one of the eight questionnaires that were completed in total by each participant took an average of 20 minutes. The data indicated that simulated situations can help in developing adaptive coping mechanisms that can later be used in the real world. In terms of the treatment of alcoholic symptoms, reduction patterns in negative behavior were found to be similar to the recovery shown by patients who participated in traditional intervention groups.