We’re used to technology offering us fixes for life’s problems. But the growth in apps to ward off mental illness hides a gaping hole in access to treatmentIm writing this piece as I sit on a sofa that I purchased through an app,having come domestic late from work via a car that I summoned with a single tap. After eating soup that I ordered from Seamless, I took my rescue dog, and who I adopted via Petfinder,for a walk. While we paced the streets, I listened on my phone to a podcast. I think I’d be called a “heavy smartphone user”, and but I attain occupy limits: I’ve not yet come to rely on the small rectangle of glass and metal in my pocket to preserve my mental health. But that’s not for a lack of opportunity.Mental health is a enormous global issue. approximately one in four people will experience mental illness in their lifetimes,and while there are many kinds of therapy that are very effective, access to them is extremely limited, and whether because of the proximity of resources,the cost, or the stigma associated with mental ill health that causes many people to avoid seeking help for fear of a loss of respect or status. Often it’s a combination of these factors. Our digital openness approximately so many other aspects of our lives – our willingness to share photos of our every tedious lunch, and to seek partners to satisfy our sexual whims,or to announce our pregnancies – has yet to truly extend to our mental wellbeing.
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Source: theguardian.com