A pointed look at the state of tech-based mental healthcare and what we must do to change it Proponents of technology trumpet it as the solution to the massive increase in the mental distress that confronts our nation. They herald the arrival of algorithms, intelligent chatbots, smartphone applications, telemental healthcare services, and more—but are these technological fixes really as good as they seem? In Therapy Tech, Emma Bedor Hiland presents the first comprehensive study of how technology has transformed mental healthcare, showing that this revolution can’t deliver what it promises. Far from providing a solution, technological mental healthcare perpetuates preexisting disparities while relying on the same failed focus on personal responsibility that has let us down before. Through vivid, in-depth case studies, Therapy Tech reveals these problems, covering issues including psychosurveillance on websites like Facebook and 7 Cups of Tea, shortcomings of popular AI “doctors on demand” like Woebot, Wysa, and Joy, and even how therapists are being conscripted into the gig economy. Featuring a vital coda that brings Therapy Tech up to date for the COVID era, this book is the first to give readers a large-scale analysis of mental health technologies and the cultural changes they have enabled. Both a sobering dissection of the current state of mental health and a necessary warning of where things are headed, Therapy Tech makes an important assertion about how to help those in need of mental health services today.

Artificial intelligence not only powers our cars, hospitals and courtrooms: predictive algorithms are becoming deeply lodged inside us too. Machine intelligence is learning our private preferences and discreetly shaping our personal behaviour, telling us how to live, who to befriend and who to date. In Algorithmic Intimacy, Anthony Elliott examines the power of predictive algorithms in reshaping personal relationships today. From Facebook friends and therapy chatbots to dating apps and quantified sex lives, Elliott explores how machine intelligence is working within us, amplifying our desires and steering our personal preferences. He argues that intimate relationships today are threatened not by the digital revolution as such, but by the orientation of various life strategies unthinkingly aligned with automated machine intelligence. Our reliance on algorithmic recommendations, he suggests, reflects a growing emergency in personal agency and human bonds. We need alternatives, innovation and experimentation for the interpersonal, intimate effort of ongoing translation back and forth between the discourses of human and machine intelligence. Accessible and compelling, this book sheds fresh light on the impact of artificial intelligence on the most intimate aspects of our lives. It will appeal to students in the social sciences and humanities and to a wide range of general readers.

Integrating Technology into Modern Therapies provides clinicians with an innovative, research-based foundation for incorporating technology into clinical practice. It offers an overview of current technological developments in therapy, such as the use of therapeutic texting, virtual reality programs, tablet apps, and online games. Chapters examine therapeutic applications of technology for those who have experienced trauma and a variety of conditions including autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and speech concerns. The book also offers suggestions for how technology can be used in hospitals, as well as with migrant, refugee, and homeless populations. Combining theory and research with a wealth of case studies and practical resources, this book will be relevant to all mental health, speech and language, and child life specialists.

Leading experts in the field of behavior therapy review developments in the field and highlight implications for clinical practice. Following a comprehensive overview of behavior therapy by Editor Cyril Franks, each chapter provides an in-depth review of the pertinent literature and a translation of the findings into ramifications for clinical practice and concludes with an overview of the major indicators and contra-indicators for direct application. The practicing clinician will find practical, relevant chapters on obesity, smoking, alcohol abuse, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and sexual dysfunction.

Mental Health Concepts and Techniques for the Occupational Therapy Assistant, Fourth Edition offers a solid foundation in occupational therapy processes to identify and address the needs of persons with mental health problems. This updated edition reflects important new developments in basic neuroscience, psychopharmacology, occupational therapy theory, and evaluation and treatment methods, and remains the only text of its kind written specifically for the occupational therapy assistant. The reader-friendly format is designed for the two-year college student. New content in this expanded text fulfills criteria set out in the American Occupational Therapy Association's Standards for an Accredited Educational Program for the Occupational Therapy Assistant. Special Fourth Edition Features: New Chapter is dedicated to the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework. Enhanced Art Program provides more content for visual learners. Chapter Objectives help the reader focus on learning goals. Chapter Review Questions test comprehension, enabling the reader to advance in the text. Point-of-View boxes offer differing perspectives on key topics. Case Examples provide the bridge from theory to practice. Concepts Summary and Vocabulary Review boxes reinforce the chapter content. Additional features include ample tables and boxes, which highlight key information, examples of group protocols and documentation, and a list of common acronyms. In short, this one text provides the information needed by occupational therapy assistants working with clients with mental health problems in a variety of clinical or community settings.