Adolescents: Are We Prepared?

In 2014, the Internet is readily available at a moment’s notice to most teenagers. In 2004, the Kaiser report noted that 74 percent of youth ages 8 to 18 had access to the Internet (Foehr & Rideout, 2005). Through their smartphones, tablets, laptops, notebooks, game consoles, and any other gadget capable of connecting to the Internet, youth are inundated with a variety of resources and information. Recently there has been considerable attention to whether this accessibility is a challenge or a fortuitous opportunity for clinicians working with adolescents. A great deal of the research focuses on the negative influences of the Internet and phone usage on today’s youth, such as a decline in physical health, strained family relationships, and a decline in academic grades, among other things (Guan & Subrahmanyam, 2009). However, instead of focusing on the negative, how could we use this technological union to assist in communication with youth and provide mental health treatment and services for todays’ youth?

Use the following keywords in the Google or Google Scholar search engine:

Adolescence and Internet and Mental Health Apps

After reading the above description and following the search directions for the suggested keywords related to the topic of technology and mental health, consider the question(s) below. Then “submit” your response.

Question 1

Mobile technologies and mental health applications used by mental health clinicians have the potential to be more effective with adolescent populations because:

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Question 2

Approximately what percentage of teenagers use text messaging as the main means of communicating with peers and family?

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Question 3

Since 2000 what has been the trend in daily Internet usage among adolescents?

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Question 4

What are important factors to consider as a mental health clinician if you are recommending Internet- or smartphone-based mental health applications for treatment of an adolescent’s mental health?

What are important factors to consider as a mental health clinician if you are recommending Internet- or smartphone-based mental health applications for treatment of an adolescent’s mental health?
One possible answer might be the adolescent’s parents’ value system and rules related to technology, and the adolescent’s access to Internet and phone.

Question 5

What are the potential benefits and risks regarding the use of the Internet for mental health services for adolescents?

One possible benefit would be real-time monitoring of symptoms; a potential risk would be an inappropriate use of the Internet that might result in ineffective treatment outcomes.