The Future of Digital Psychiatry

Treatments in psychiatry have been rapidly changing over the last century, following the development of psychopharmacology and new research achievements. However, with advances in technology, the practice of psychiatry in the future will likely be influenced by new trends based on computerized approaches and digital communication. We examined four major areas that will probably impact on the clinical practice in the next few years: telepsychiatry; social media; mobile applications and internet of things; artificial intelligence; and machine learning.

Developments in these four areas will benefit patients throughout the journey of the illness, encompassing early diagnosis, even before the patients present to a clinician; personalized treatment on demand at anytime and anywhere; better prediction on patient outcomes; and even how mental illnesses are diagnosed in the future. Though the evidence for many technology-based interventions or mobile applications is still insufficient, it is likely that such advances in technology will play a larger role in the way that patient receives mental health interventions in the future, leading to easier access to them and improved outcomes.