Apps for Therapy, Therapists, and Self-Help: A Refresher

This webinar is not eligible for CE credit. The aim of this webinar is to provide a refresher on the use of apps in clinical practice, first by giving an update on the adoption and use of apps, then by reviewing the risks and benefits associated with using apps in clinical practice, and finally, by highlighting some of the most popular mental health apps. 

Despite the numerous advances that have been made in the field, many experts (e.g., Kazdin & Blase, 2011) believe that mental health professionals are not likely to reduce the prevalence, incidence, and burden of mental illness without a major shift in intervention research and clinical practice. For example, approximately 89.3 million Americans currently live in the 4,000 communities designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas. These communities lack a sufficient number of mental health care experts to address residents’ needs (Fisher, et al., 2017), and even when mental health providers are available, a variety of barriers interfere with help-seeking, including: transportation challenges, costs, and concerns about stigma. Fortunately, we are in the midst of the mobile revolution, spurred by both the advances in mobile technology and the widespread adoption of that technology (Erhardt & Dorian, 2013). The rise of mobile technology has led to explosive growth in software applications (i.e., “apps”), with an increasing number of these apps being created for medical and behavioral health. Using mobile technologies to more rapidly and accurately assess and treat mental health problems represents this much-needed major shift in intervention research and clinical practice and therefore has great potential to transform the care of psychological disorders. While this is a very promising development, there are several key issues that need to be addressed, including: efficacy, regulation, data security and privacy, licensure and jurisdiction, and safety and liability.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. provide an update on the adoption and use of apps
2. review the risks and benefits associated with using apps in clinical practice
3. highlight some of the most popular mental health apps 

Presentation level: Introductory

This webinar is not eligible for CE credit.