Mind in the Gap Between Neural and Social Networks - Cyberspace and Virtual Reality in Psychiatry and Healthcare

In terms of health and healthcare cyberspace and virtual reality can be used differently and for different purposes and consequently create different outcomes. The three main areas which we shall discuss here are: 1) cyberspace as provider of health information and self-help resources, since the anonymity cyberspace provides is particularly important in the highly stigmatized field of psychiatry where a large number of people never seek professional help, which in turn negatively affects not only the person in question, but the family and ultimately the society (work efficiency, disability-adjusted life year - DALY, etc.), 2) cyberspace and virtual reality (VR) as cause of psychopathology, starting from violent behaviour, to addictive behaviour and other, 3) and finally cyberspace and VR as providers of efficient professional therapy in the field of psychiatry.