The Internet and Social Media Can Impact Mental Health, Really!

I would like to personally thank Jack Dorsey (Twitter founder) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder), as well as the academic researchers in the early 1950s credited with bringing the Internet to the masses. The Internet and Social Media have reduced communication barriers, enhanced work/personal productivity, and ushered in new advances in medical treatments, and other ground breaking improvements.

As a practicing social worker in higher education and small business owner, it is important for me to uphold the standards of the profession, while adhering to the Code of Ethics. The profession directs us to practice in areas in which we have been trained; however, I find there are very few venues that provide hands-on training opportunities for social workers interested in delivering mental health services in an online or technology based environment.

I recently learned (by conducting my own research on the Internet) of Virtual Reality Treatment (VRT) models used with those suffering chronic pain not fully controlled through medication. VRT is rooted in technology and was developed as a treatment approach by University of Washington (U of W) researchers. U of W researchers created a VRT game called SnowWorld (just Google SnowWorld to learn more) used primarily with patients experiencing severe burns. SnowWorld VRT helps distract individuals engaging in painful burn rehabilitation/treatment from experiencing their pain through the use of sensory flooding (visual, auditory, and kinestetic) via an innovative video game. The research and findings related to VRT is simply amazing.

This is one example of how technology can be used in medical treatment, but VRT has also been found to be efficacious in mental health treatment as well.  Still another tool rooted in technology (Internet) that has been found to be effective in the treatment of motor challenges, depression, and others is "Second Life". Second Life allows users to engage in support services through the use of avatars. There are quite a few universities in the U.S. and abroad that have conducted research in the use of Second Life as a treatment model, including Case Western Reserve University, Drexel, and others.

I would like to encourage my fellow social workers to consider exploring the use of innovative treatment models rooted in the Internet and Social Media that have been researched and deemed effective in the treatment of mental and physical health challenges.