AI chatbots in mental health: are we there yet?

People with mental health problems often struggle in getting the suitable treatment regarding not only the type of interventions available but also the conditions required for a proper treatment, mainly cost, locality, and frequency. The use of AI chatbots for this population is a new trend and can reduce the gap between the need for mental health care making them accessible in a cost-effective way. Although chatbots are not a substitute for formal treatments, they are sometimes used in tandem with other treatments with positive results. This chapter provides a review on the subject, presenting several chatbots for mental health problems and also addressing some concerns such as privacy, data security, AI limitations, and ethical implications. Future research directions are also discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mobile mental health: opportunities and challenges

Several people with mental health problems do not receive suitable treatment and often avoid or delay seeking help due to concerns about being treated differently and other practical barriers (for example, services costs and unavailability). The mobile health concept has gained more enthusiasts worldwide exactly because it helps mitigate some of these issues. However, despite the emerging scientific evidence in the last decade that proves the efficacy and safety of these interventions, professionals have shown some doubts and worries about their implementation, especially in the mental health field. Thereby, this chapter provides a review on the subject, presenting several mobile applications for mental health problems and also the expectations and needs of health professionals and users for development and implementation of a mobile application.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

User engagement in mobile apps for people with schizophrenia: A scoping review

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of mobile apps designed for mental health proposes and mHealth has been perceived as a promising approach to help people with schizophrenia to manage their condition. However, adoption rates are relatively low and long-term user engagement is a major issue. The aim of this study is to identify and better understand what strategies and factors may influence user engagement and facilitate prolonged use of apps for people with schizophrenia to better manage their illness. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework and following PRISMA ScR guidelines. The sources consisted of searching four electronic databases. Rayyan software was used for this study selection process and a narrative approach was used to synthesize the extracted data. A total of 28 studies which met the inclusion criteria were identified. The engagement strategies included push notifications, message prompts, personalization, application customization, goal setting, game-like features, use of different multimedia formats, social connectedness, support (peers and professionals), reliability of content and quality of feedback received. Some demographic factors may influence adherence such as age, gender, education level and socioeconomic status. Other factors also may play a role impacting engagement: health status, data privacy and security, involvement in design process, incentives for participation, app usage fitting in the user routines, initial training, and constant technical support. Included studies present high heterogeneity in outcome measures and thresholds criteria to assess engagement. Understanding what influences engagement and how to measure it is essential to enhance the design of mobile apps and deliver scalable solutions to help people with schizophrenia better manage their illness in their real-world uptake.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The use of mobile technologies to support psychosocial rehabilitation of people with mental health problems

An efficient psychosocial rehabilitation program is essential in order to achieve symptoms’ remission and promote a functional and satisfying life for people with mental ilness. The use of mobile technologies not only has become a prominent term within the practice of medicine, but also have great potential to improve the quality of services (Ben-Zeev, Drake & Brian, 2014; Tomlinson et al., 2013). There is some evidence concerning this topic and it is important to summarize it.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Virtual reality exposure therapy for armed forces veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and focus group [artigo]

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an emerging treatment for people diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to the limited accessibility of psychotherapies. This research aims to determine the guidelines for developing a Virtual Reality–War Scenario program for Armed Forces veterans with PTSD and encompasses two studies: Study 1, a systematic electronic database review; Study 2, a focus group of twenty-two Portuguese Armed Forces veterans. Results showed a positive impact of VRET on PTSD; however, there were no group differences in most of the studies. Further, according to veterans, new VRET programs should be combined with the traditional therapy and must consider as requirements the sense of presence, dynamic scenarios, realistic feeling, and multisensorial experience. Regardless, these findings suggest VRET as a co-creation process, which requires more controlled, personalized, and in-depth research on its clinical applicability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Virtual reality to improve postural control in patients with schizophrenia: study protocol for a single-blind parallel group randomised controlled trial

Impairment in postural control is prevalent in patients with schizophrenia, and often limit occupational performance. Virtual reality (VR) has proven its benefits for improving postural control and among schizophrenia population. Remarkably, the effectiveness of a VR game-based intervention on postural control in this population has never been evaluated. The primary aim of this study is to examine the effects and impact of VR on postural control parameters in patients with schizophrenia. This is a single-blinded, randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. Thirty-four patients with schizophrenia are randomly assigned to the virtual reality group (VR) or the inactive control group (CG). The intervention consists of 3 30 min sessions for 4 weeks. Assessments are performed at baseline, post-intervention and 1-month follow-up. The primary outcome is postural control. The center of pressure (COP) displacement and velocity in anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions are measured by PhyisoSensing pressure platform. This study protocol comprises parameters that are thought to be crucial to the success of the intervention. There are used objective and quantitative measures to evaluate the outcomes for effectively plan postural control interventions in schizophrenia with more reliable and valid results. The results of the study will be useful to clarify the effect of VR on postural control in patients with schizophrenia and provide insight into the validity of this approach as an intervention technique. It is expected that the results confirm the positive findings supporting the therapeutic prospects of VR.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ies we can: web-based gamified learning for social entrepreneurship and innovation

In the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation course of the Occupational Therapy degree (School of Health, Polytechnic University of Porto) a gamification method was employed to complement the teaching-learning process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Money Management and Shopping Skills Training Programme

As competências de gestão de dinheiro e fazer compras, Atividades de Vida Diária Instrumentais (AVDIs), são importantes uma vez que permitem um maior grau de autonomia e participação na vida em sociedade. Posto isto, são competências fundamentais para a vivência em sociedade, pois estão presentes em diversos atos e contextos. Assim sendo, estas duas áreas promovem a autodeterminação, a autonomia, a inclusão social e a participação comunitária. De forma a trabalhar estas duas áreas foi desenvolvido um programa de treino de competências de gestão de dinheiro e fazer compras, uma vez que se encontram poucos dados relativamente a uma intervenção da Terapia Ocupacional focalizada nestas áreas. O programa tem como principais objetivos a promoção das competências de gestão de dinheiro e fazer compras. Para avaliação do desempenho inicial e reavaliação final serão utilizados os seguintes instrumentos - o Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADLS), apenas as questões B e H, e o Test of Grocery Shopping Skills (TOGSS). Para a intervenção será realizado um programa baseado no treino metacognitivo e na meditação mindfulness. Resultados: Com este programa espera-se que os participantes melhorem as suas competências de gestão de dinheiro e fazer compras, que se verificam através dos resultados nos instrumentos de avaliação anteriormente referidos. Na ausência destas capacidades as pessoas perdem algumas tomadas de decisões significativas, nomeadamente relativamente ao que comer e ao que vestir, entre outros aspetos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Validation of the Portuguese version of community attitudes toward people with mental illness (CAMI) [artigo]

Stigma remains a feature that influences the lifestyle of people with mental illness. Negative attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination are still prevalent in these people’s life. Stigma is considered a public health problem that occurs unconsciously in society, categorizing people. Portugal is the seventh-worst country concerning stigma in Mental Health. There have been few improvements in reducing stigma over time, and there is a great need to create investigations and validate instruments that measure stigma in the population. This study aims to address the gaps in the level of studies and normative instruments that measure the stigma of the Portuguese population in the face of mental illness. It, therefore, aims to adapt and validate community attitudes toward people with mental illness (CAMI) culturally and examine its psychometric properties. Method: The 27-item version of CAMI was translated and back-translated into English, which was analyzed and evaluated by a panel of experts. A sociodemographic survey and CAMI were applied in an online format, in which participated 427 adults representing the Portuguese population in general. Finally, the reliability and validity of the instrument were analyzed. CAMI showed positive values of reliability and validity but not optimal. The confirmatory factor analysis values satisfactory values that indicate good quality of fit: x2 /df=3.296; comparative fit index = 0.601; goodness of fit index = 0.817; and root mean square error of approximation = 0.073, indicates good quality of fit. Cronbach alpha was different for each factor, but it was positive. Spearman coefficient (r=–0.343) obtained a negative but consistent value. This study contributed to the achievement and validation of new measures to assess the stigma of the general population related to people with mental illness. We must continue to analyze this theme, complete the validation of this instrument, and understand the existing levels of stigma, its predominance in society, and the possible creation and implementation of new measures that support literacy in mental illness and anti-stigma.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with lived experience of mental illness integrated into community-based psychosocial rehabilitation structures in Portugal

To analyze the prevalence and impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in people with lived experience of mental illness integrated into community-based psychosocial rehabilitation structures in Portugal. One hundred and thirty-nine people with lived experience of mental illness integrated into community-based psychosocial rehabilitation structures in Portugal answered an online survey that included dimensions related to COVID-19 pandemic prevalence, routine/lifestyle, social support, access to health care, mental health and well-being during the pandemic and confinement, and life satisfaction and postpandemic future expectations. The results point to a low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in this sample. High levels of resilience and mental well-being were identified in the individuals. We also found that participants were satisfied with the social support during this phase and their routine/lifestyle. The study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic seems not to have had a significant negative impact on people with experience of mental illness integrated into community-based psychosocial rehabilitation structures in Portugal. However, more research in this field should be done in the future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio