AS10-01 - use of Technologies in Modern Psychiatry

Abstract

The relationship between technology and human being is not new and man has always tried to overcome the topological limits of the human body and mind by modifying human characteristics to facilitate the ease and speed of accessing action/knowledge. However, since at least three centuries, modern technology has exerted a deep influence on human behaviour, at different levels. In the last fifty years, the digital technology has changed even more significantly the access to information, the human relationships, the timing of everyday life. Thus, it is not surprising that the science which studies the human behaviour has been affected by such recent technological changes in many ways. The aim of this presentation is to review the most cogent changes, induced by recent digital technology, in routine psychiatric practice, also encompassing the modern technological aids for treatment and research in psychiatry. To these aims, a literature review, covering the scientific articles published in last thirty years, was conducted and a general evaluation of how and how much digital technology has impacted psychiatry is made. Finally, a brief account of new diagnoses related to the misuse of technology is summarized and specific hints aimed to optimize professional use of digital technology in psychiatry are provided.