Dec 5 2011
2011 Winter Editorial

Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Winter 2011, Volume 4, Issue 4

 

How Can we Help preserve Mental Capital?

First, let me define what I mean by the concept of mental wealth or mental capital. The Foresight Project on Mental Health and Well-being says that it “encompasses a person’s cognitive and emotional resources. It includes their cognitive ability, how flexible and efficient they are at learning, and their ‘emotional intelligence,’ such as their social skills and resilience in the face of stress. It therefore conditions how well an individual is able to contribute effectively to society, and also to experience a high personal quality of life.” The study focused on the U.K., but the 20-year trends cited as affecting the mental wealth of that country are relevant to the rest of the EU, the U.S., and other parts of the world. Trends include the aging of the population (increasing dementia), changes in the global economy (rise of China and India, need for more training and work-life balance), the changing nature and expectations of society and public services (balance of responsibility), and new science and technology (equal access to their benefits).

These same themes emerge in the resulting study article, “The mental wealth of nations,” by Beddington et al., which reported on the group’s evaluation of the scientific evidence to produce this independent assessment involving 450 experts from 16 countries. The authors of this paper urged development of initiatives to support early diagnosis and treatment of childhood learning problems, workplace environments that promote mental health and programs that advance learning among elders to slow cognitive decline. They noted, “How a nation develops and uses its mental capital not only has a significant effect on its economic competitiveness and prosperity but is also important for mental health and well- being and social cohesion and inclusion.”

Pointing to a disproportionate share of investment in mental health relative to its disease burden, the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) created the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health, identifying research priorities for the next 10 years that will make a difference in people’s mental health. These 25 specific challenges are grouped into broad goals that seek to:

  • Identify root causes, risk and protective factors
  • Advance prevention and implementation of early interventions
  • Improve treatments and expand access to care
  • Raise awareness of the global burden
  • Build human resource capacity
  • Transform health-system and policy responses

NIMH lists guiding principles for funding such research:

  • Use a life-course approach to study
  • Use system-wide approaches to address suffering
  • Use evidence-based interventions
  • Understand environmental influences

So how can we, as clinical and research professionals with spe- cialties in, for example, psychology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or autism, help our clients boost their mental capital?

 

  1.  Improved access to education can help: “The [Foresight] Project has identified a number of technologies … ubiquitous and mobile technologies; artificial intelligence; assessment technologies; and tools to support teachers in designing and exchanging learning activities.” A virtual environment to help children with autism learn to cross the street is one example of how we can use the technolo- gies we espouse for early intervention, the most cost-effective way to prevent mental ill health.
  2.  Although the mechanisms are not yet understood, a growing number of studies show that physical exercise may prevent or mitigate the effects of depression, and a Stanford University study showed that a virtual representation of one’s self gaining or losing weight in proportion to the exercise completed motivated volunteers to complete more exercise.
  3.  While we are just beginning to debate the legal and ethical im- plications of using pharmacological (smart drugs) means of improving mental wealth, use of these drugs in controlled clinical trials and publication of results that show minimal side effects from long-term use will pave the way for their mainstreaming.
  4. Neurocognitive activation via cognitive training is a promising area of investigation, as I reported in my recent article co-authored with Dr. Mark Wiederhold. With the aid of fMRI-safe Virtual Reality goggles, we can study the brain while a patient interacts with a virtual environment, and learn how to tailor treatments to pro- duce the desired activations in that individual’s brain.
  5.  Finally, I would encourage you to continue to advocate for mental health funding by governments. As the Foresight study authors noted, “… a cross-governmental approach is needed to realize the full benefits … Interventions may have long timescales before they see any returns. Implementing these recommendations will require significant changes in the nature of governance, placing mental capital and well-being at the heart of policy-making.”

 

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Medical Institute

www.vrphobia.eu

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Sep 5 2011
Build Trust, Engage People to Increase Understanding of Science

From the 1960s through the mid-1980s, the term ‘‘scien- tific literacy,’’ focused on public knowledge of science, came into vogue. From 1985 to the mid-1990s, the term ‘‘public understanding of science (PUS),’’ focused on public attitudes toward science, became the new paradigm. Both are so-called ‘‘deficit models,’’ in which researchers assume that the public is deficient in knowledge, attitude, or trust. From 1995 to the present, the focus has shifted to the deficits of the scientists in communicating with the public, with public en- gagement the perceived way to rebuild public trust and achieve a social consensus on controversial scientific issues.1 Education is only a part of the solution, as a recent meta- analysis across cultures showed a small positive correlation between knowledge and attitudes.2

The deficit model overlooks the roles of ideology and social identity, as well as the roles of science fiction and entertain- ment on certain topics such as cloning. The public engagement model of the last decade features, for example, consensus conferences in which stakeholders participate in evaluation and decision making.3 However, such engagement may have unintended consequences, such as the formation of a watch- dog advocacy group to monitor nanotechnology in the com- munity.4 A recent analysis of such upstream engagement showed that, with the exception of the UK Nanojury and Nanodialogues, most projects studied by the authors did not go beyond consensus formation or measuring public opinion. However, if people cannot translate participatory approaches into a political process, there could be a backlash, such as that created in Europe against genetically modified food.5

Moreover, the deficit model ignores how people use media to learn about science. In the absence of strong motivation to acquire knowledge, they will use mental shortcuts, person- ally held values, and feelings as a basis for their beliefs about a scientific issue. In addition, people are drawn to new sources of knowledge that reinforce their current beliefs. Certainly, opinion leaders have a talent for providing great ‘‘sound bites’’ that may oversimplify or contradict scientific evidence, such as promising that food biotech will put an end to world hunger.3

There is a need for truthful sound bites, however, as people need to hear about science in ways that make the results personally relevant and meaningful. As scientists, we must learn to focus on framing our messages to connect with di- verse audiences. If we do not, other groups surely will, as the framing of the food biotech issue in Europe as a Pandora’s box of unknown risks helped stall progress on such research in some countries.6

In a new book on science communication, social scientist Matthew Nisbet at American University in Washington, DC, writes:
A generalizable set of factors, principles, and social meanings appear over and over again across science debates. These generalizable features reveal important clues about the inter- section between media frames and audience dispositions, the role of journalistic routines in altering the definition of an is- sue, and how science policy decisions are made. However, in order to put theory and principles into practice.science or- ganizations should work with communication researchers to commission surveys, focus groups, and other analyses that can identify effective messages and media platforms. Drawing on the typology of frames presented, on any particular issue, re- search needs to pinpoint the mental associations and cognitive schema that make a complex science topic accessible and personally meaningful for a targeted audience along with the particular framework devices that instantly translate these intended meanings.7

As we identify media platforms for our science messages, we must remember that social networking sites are changing the way that people get their science information. For ex- ample, members of an online community of experts can tweet a critique of a linked article from a peer-reviewed journal to their followers, bloggers may notice and comment on the controversy, and a new online op-ed piece may be created that provides additional context to the reader of the original article. Companies are beginning to take advantage of the social media properties of the Internet via Web sites that link to their Facebook pages and YouTube channels, and feature blogs and discussion groups. Patient advocacy group and special interest group Web sites are intended to frame policy debates or news coverage, and some science blogs blend science with religion.

As clinicians and scientists, we must be vigilant not to feed into the cycle of hype. We must withstand commercial pres- sure, temper our own hopes for a technology in our reporting, and under-promise results to pave the road to public trust and engagement.

 

References
1. Bauer MW, Allum N, Miller S. What can we learn from 25 years of PUS survey research? Liberating and expan- ding the agenda. Public Understanding of Science 2007; 16: 79–95.
2. Allum N, Sturgis P, Tabourazi D, Brunton-Smith I. Science knowledge and attitudes across cultures: A meta-analysis. Public Understanding of Science 2008; 17:35–54.

3. Bubela T, Nisbet MC, Borchelt R, Brunger F, Critchley C, Einsiedel E, Geller G, Gupta A, Hampel J, Hyde-Lay R, Jandciu WE, Jones SA, Kolopack P, Lane S, Lougheed T, Nerlick B, Ogbogu U, O’Riordan K, Ouellette C, Spear M, Strauss S, Thavaratnam T, Willemse L, Caulfield T. Science communication reconsidered. Nature 2009; 27:514–18.
4. Powell M, Kleinman DL. Building citizen participation in nanotechnology decision-making: The democratic virtues of the consensus Conference model. Public Understanding of Science 2008; 17:329–48.
5. Kurath M, Gisler P. Informing, involving or engaging? Science communication, in the ages of atom-, bio- and
nanotechnology. Public Understanding of Science 2009;
18:559–73. 6. Nisbet MC, Scheufele DA. The future of public engagement.
The Scientist 2007; 21:38. www.the scientist.com/ article/
print/53611/ (accessed September 6, 2011). 7. Nisbet MC. (2010) Framing science: A new paradigm in
public engagement. In Kahlor L, Stout PA, eds. Communicating science: New agenda in communication. New York: Routledge, ch. 2, pp. 40–67.

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold

Editor-in-Chief

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments
Jul 4 2011
Should Adult Sexting Be Considered for the DSM?

In the wake of the news about the unfortunate events that led to the resignation of Anthony Weiner, aged 46, from the U.S. House of Representatives, we ask: Should adult sexting be considered a deviant behavior worthy of inclusion in the DSM?

Former Rep. Weiner’s fall from grace began when he ac- cidentally posted a link to a lewd photo of himself on a Twitter account that he used to communicate with constituents. He subsequently admitted that he had been sexting both photographs and messages to various women before and during his marriage.

Sexting can be defined as ‘‘sending, receiving, or for- warding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or images via cell phone, computer, or other digital devices.’’1 To date, much of the research has focused on adolescents and young adults, the age group most involved in this activity.

An online survey of undergraduate students found that nearly two-thirds had sexted nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves, mostly to their boyfriend or girlfriend. About a quarter sexted someone they wanted to hook up with or date, and 15% sexted people they had met online only.2 While being sexy or initiating sex were the primary motivations of this group, an earlier pencil-and-paper survey by this same author found that self-expression was a primary motivation.3

Some authors place sexting in the category of cyberbullying,4 which it certainly can be when used by adolescents to harass other teens. But what about adults? Do we know anything about why adults use sexting and if it is associated with other high-risk sexual behaviors?

To date, research to answer this question is limited. One study of young, mostly Hispanic older adolescents and young adults aged 16–25 found that 20% used sexting. The women who used it were slightly more likely to enjoy sex and slightly more likely to exhibit histrionic behavior.5

Perhaps it is just that some politicians lack the internal controls, such as conscience, or the external controls, such as police, to guard against what may be perceived as deviant behavior. Sexting among consenting adults is not a crime, and some adults would not consider sexting with a person other than a spouse ‘‘cheating’’ in a marriage. Others, however, might think that such behavior is a sign of a sex addict. Is it deviant behavior? Is it any different from watching porn movies, with or without your partner?

Mr. Weiner’s lapse of judgment brought to light that, in the age of Facebook and Twitter, cyber privacy cannot be guaranteed. Moreover, as clinical and research professionals, we need to be mindful that other issues may contribute to the reasons why some of our adult clients may engage in sexting.

We believe there is a need for more research on adult sexting. What drives people who are married or in a committed relationship to text sexual messages and photos to someone other than their spouse? Does this behavior vary by gender and age? We need to understand the etiology of and treatment options appropriate for such behaviors.

In the relatively new field of cyberpsychology, we strive to learn about the many challenges of current behavior that social networking makes possible. Certainly, such research will help us to prepare for the many behavioral changes that advances in interactive technology will inspire.

 

References
1. O’Keefe GS, Clarke-Pearson K, Council on Communication and Media. The impact of social media on children, adoles- cents, and families. Pediatrics 2011; 127:800–804.
2. Henderson L. Sexting and sexual relationships among teens and young adults. McNair Scholars Research Journal 2011; 7:31–39. http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/mcnair_journal/ vol7/iss1/9 (accessed June 26, 2011).
3. Henderson L. Sexting: Self-expression or sexual attention. Boise State University, 2010 Undergraduate Conference, College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs. Poster presentation. http:// scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_10/ (accessed June 26, 2011).
4. Newey KA, Magson N. A critical review of the current cyber bullying research: Definitional, theoretical and methodologi- cal issues. Where do we go from here? Conference Proceed- ings, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) International Education Research Conference, Mel- bourne, Nov 28–Dec 2, 2010. www.aare.edu.au/10pap/ 2521NeweyMagson.pdf (accessed June 26, 2011).
5. Ferguson CJ. Sexting behaviors among young Hispanic women: Incidence and association with other high-risk sexual behaviors. The Psychiatric quarterly 2010 [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21153441.

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold

Editor-in-Chief

CyberPsychology Behavior & Social Networking

http://www.liebertpub.com/overview/cyberpsychology-behavior-and-social-networking/10/

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Jun 6 2011
2011 Summer Editorial

Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Summer 2011, Volume 4, Issue 2

 

 EDITORIAL

Welcome to the Summer 2011 issue of the Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation (JCR). As you know, JCR is one of the two official journals of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training & Rehabilitation (iACToR). Now in its 16th year, the annual international CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference (CT16) agreed, in 2009, to become the official conference of iACToR. So, along with CyberPsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking Journal (CYBER), CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation (C&R) Magazine, and JCR, we celebrate our Combined Communications Platform. The journals, conference, magazine, and association combine into one powerful platform to address previous information deficits in the utilization of advanced technologies in healthcare. We will strive to speak with a united voice to inform and educate stakeholders about the uses of technologies in healthcare, as well as how technologies are impacting behavior and society.

This year we are proud to be holding CT in Canada. Organized by the Interactive Media Institute (IMI), a 501c3 nonprofit organization, in cooperation with Université du Québec en Outoauais (UQO), CT16 is being held June 19-22, 2011 in Gatineau, Canada. This venue speaks to the continued growth and collaboration, not just amongst Europe and the U.S., but also amongst researchers and scholars worldwide. This year’s conference theme is two-fold: First, CT16 will explore technologies as enabling tools. This will include the uses of advanced technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) simulations, videogames, telehealth, video-conferencing, the Internet, robotics, brain computer interfaces, wearable computing, non-invasive physiological monitoring devices, in diagnosis, assessment, and prevention of mental and physical disorders. In addition, we will look at interactive media in training, education, rehabilitation, and therapeutic interventions. Second, CT16 will explore the impact of new technologies. CT16 will investigate how new technologies are influencing behavior and society, for example, through healthy ageing initiatives, positive and negative effects of social network- ing tools, and online gaming.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are helping to make this year’s conference possible through their tireless energy and drive the Co-Organizer and Conference Co-Chair Professor Stéphane Bouchard; this year’s Scientific Chairs, Professors Paul Emmelkamp, Wijnand Ijsselsteijn and Giuseppe Riva; Exhibit Chair Professor Sun Kim; Workshop Chair Pro- fessor Heidi Sveistrup; Cyberarium Chair Geneviève Robillard; and Website Chair Professor Andrea Gaggioli. Many thanks also to the Scientific Committee, made up of prominent researchers from around the world, and the Local Advisory Committee in Gatineau, as well as all of the presenters and attendees. Finally, my gratitude to Geneviève Robillard, Emily Butcher and Jocel Rivera for overseeing the Conference Coordination, to Christina Valenti for editing related materials, and to the teams at Université du Québec en Outaouais, Interactive Media Institute, Virtual Reality Medical Center, and Virtual Realty Medical Institute for their time and contributions to all facets of the conference.

To our sponsors, who continue to support our vision and help make it a reality, a warm and heartfelt thank you – 3dVia, Assemblée Nationale du Québec, Canada Research Chair in Clinical Cyberpsychology, Casino LacLeamy, the European Commission Information Society and Media, Gouvernement du Québec, Interactive Media Institute (IMI), International Association of Cy- berPsychology, Training & Rehabilitation (iACToR), INTERSTRESS, In Virtuo, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Ville de Gatineau, the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), the Virtual Reality Medical Institute (VRMI) and WorldViz.

As integral parts of our Combined Communications Platform, the CT Conference series will continue to work together with iACToR, JCR, and C&R to inform and educate industry, academia, and government officials and the general public on the explosive growth of advanced technologies for therapy, training, education, prevention and rehabilitation.

As in previous conferences, this year’s conference will be hosting an interactive exhibit area, the Cyberarium, which allows conference attendees and members of the press to try new technologies firsthand. To recognize outstanding achievements by students and new researchers, as well as lifetime achievement for a senior researcher, we will also be hosting awards during the conference and announcing the 2011-2012 iACToR officers during the General Assembly. Pre-conference workshops will focus on advanced topics including psychotherapeutic applications, brain computer interface devices, and rehabilitation, and there will also be an introduction to VR workshop for those newer to the area.

As we approach CT16 with excitement, we begin too to look toward next year’s conference, CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy 17, to be held in Brussels, Belgium September 12-15, 2012. Thank you again for your commit- ment to the evolution of healthcare!

 

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Medical Institute

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments
Jun 6 2011
Who Gets Funding? Let the People Decide

In The Department of Mad Scientists,1 Michael Belfiore offers a glimpse into the workings of the maverick Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is re- sponsible for the birth of the Internet and GPS, among other amazing inventions. The small percentage of Americans who know about DARPA may have heard about it because it funds the Grand Challenge Race, with a $2 million prize for the first autonomous robot that makes it through a desert course, avoiding obstacles and following the rules.

‘‘One enormous continuing development is the exponen- tial growth of social networking media and the increasing use of social media by companies to crowdsource ideas, mount contests to award prizes and gather audiences, and attempt to create dialogues with customers,’’ wrote Rosabeth Moss Kanter in her syndicated column toward the end of 2010.2 The following examples illustrate how these new types of contests can work, and provide food for thought about new possi- bilities for research and development funding.

In 2010, Google awarded a total of $10 million to five finalists in its Project 10^100 contest, which solicited ideas for changing the world by helping as many people as possible. From 150,000 ideas submitted by people in 170 countries, Google selected 16 big ideas and let people vote for their favorites.

The Pepsi Refresh Project is looking for great ideas that are going to ‘‘refresh the world.’’ As with traditional grant funding, there are specific grant cycles, applications, and ca- tegories for projects costing from $5,000 to $50,000. What is new is that the project director gets to promote his/her pro- ject through videos and social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and the projects that garner the most votes win. Pepsi awards up to $1.2 million each month for such projects.

A 2011 contest sponsored by Enterprise Rent a Car was called Giving Back. It allowed visitors to its Facebook page to decide among 10 competing charities nominated by En- terprise employees. The first-place winner received $10,000, the second-place winner received $5,000, and the third- and fourth-place winners received $2,500 each. The contest gave Enterprise Rent a Car an opportunity to promote its foun- dation, which gives 75% of its funds to employee-suggested charities.

Talking about the Dockers ‘‘Wear the Pants’’ contest, in which entrants submitted a 400-word business plan and awards were made on the basis of votes from both commu- nity members and a panel of judges, one author3 offers tips for businesses wishing to engage in social media contests:

  •  The best prizes positively affect people’s lives, creating a positive association for the company.
  •  If everyone gets something (e.g., a coupon) for partici- pating, it helps everyone feel included.
  •  Associating with a good cause generates emotional ap- peal and a reason to spread the word.
  •  Running a contest through Facebook keeps visitors there longer, interacting with the company and each other.
  • A ‘‘soft sell’’ approach that mixes branding, sales, and
    contest strategy is appropriate for social media.
  • Identifying how the contest fits into the marketing strategy, devoting sufficient resources, and defining what a successful outcome looks like are essential to thecontest’s success.

CYBER readers may be interested in the results of a recent study,4 which identified seven key components to informa- tion communication and technology (ICT) competitions:

1. Challenge goal—what sponsors hope to achieve (e.g., prompt innovative thinking);
2. Marketing—howandtowhomsponsorsspreadtheword (e.g., conferences, Web site, social networking sites);
3. Application process—how entries are submitted (most are publicly available);
4. Judging criteria—what is used to evaluate applicants (e.g., originality, economic viability);
5. Judging process—the particular mix that determines winners (e.g., external experts, crowdsourcing, presen- tations);
6. Winners—recent winners and their topics (e.g., mobile apps);
7. Supplemental support—what additional support is of- fered to winners (e.g., coaching for pitching ideas to investors).

The authors of this study concluded, ‘‘In general, contests are increasingly being used as a tool to solve society’s most entrenched problems.’’

This leads us to suggest that more government agencies follow DARPA’s lead. Why shouldn’t governments hold con- tests that let the people decide which projects are funded? This could start small, with perhaps one percent of government re- search and development funding allocated to such contests. In these days of American Idol voting and social media-based contests, we suggest that U.S. and European government agencies consider the benefits of letting the people decide.

References
1. Belfiore M. (2009) The Department of Mad Scientists: How DARPA Is Remaking Our World, from the Internet to Artificial Limbs. Washington, DC: Smithsonian.
2. Kanter RM. A promising year for technology and innovation. Harvard Business Review 2010; T19:20:43Z.

3. Cotriss D. Social Campaign Shows the Power of Contests. Small Business Trends, April 21, 2011. http://smallbiztrends.com/ 2011/04/social-campaign-shows-the-power-of-contests.html (accessed May 10, 2011).
4. Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors. (2009) Media, in- formation and communication contests: an analysis. Presented to John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. www.knightfoundation .org/dotAsset/356025.pdf (accessed May 10, 2011).

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold

Editor-in-Chief

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments
Mar 1 2011
2011 Spring Editorial

Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Spring 2011, Volume 4, Issue 1

 

EDITORIAL

There is an emerging body of literature about the proliferation of social networking sites (SNS) and their effects on mental health. To date, much of it has focused on investigating the possible negative effects of SNS, such as Internet addiction. However, research also supports the benefits of SNS in mental health, addictions, stigmatized identities, trauma and violence recovery, and grief support. As clinicians and researchers, we are just beginning to harness the power of SNS to promote mental well- being.

Participation in SNS has increased dramatically over the past five years. A 2010 Pew report showed that 73% of online teens and 47% of online adults in the U.S. used SNS. Another survey conducted by Pew in April–May 2010 noted that Poland, Britain, and South Korea are close behind the U.S. in SNS usage, followed by France, Spain, Russia, and Brazil. Lower participation in other countries is due primarily to less-wired populations. No table exceptions are Germany and Japan, where Internet usage is high but SNS usage is low.

The European Union has been investing in e-Health since 2004, when outgoing Public Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne said, “We need a … Europe where people have easy access to clear and reliable information on how to be in good health and about diseases and treatment options.” An outgrowth of the European Parliament hearing at which he testified was the creation of the ICT (information and communication technologies) for Health, enabling health service providers in different EU member states to work together to exploit these technologies. More recently, the First International E-Mental Health Summit in Amsterdam in 2009 organized by the Trimbos Institute in collaboration with the International Society for Research on Internet Interventions attracted 500 participants from more than 40 countries. In the U.S., the new healthcare reform law provides financial incentives for providers to use health information technology and electronic health records, and in March 2011 leaders in healthcare technology will share their innovations in San Diego and San Francisco, California for the Health 2.0 conference.

In one such innovation, a researcher used a GPS-enabled phone and a location-aware SNS to design a system to help trainees with cognitive impairment who felt lost to find a nearby caregiver. These individuals were enrolled in a supported employment program that provided them with a job coach to help them get to and from work for the first few weeks. The system was programmed to send text messages to the job coach and time and location alarms to help the trainee get to work on time. This type of SNS could enable parents, guardians, and caregivers to watch loved ones unobtrusively.

A recent study of 217 college-age participants in South Korea found that SNS network size was positively related to subjective well-being, and the results suggest that this is due to self-disclosure. In the SNS context, it is postulated that the positive association with well-being results from the self-disclosure “confession effect,” the expectation of mutual self-disclosure, and the expectation of social support.

A case study report found that deploying the Three Good Things positive psychology exercise as a Facebook ap- plication was viable, with a 1% dropout rate, which is similar to or better than other online wellness applications. In the exercise, people post three good things that happened, along with the reasons they think they happened. People found that sharing with others and viewing other’s posts were valuable, as long as they were able to choose which comments they made were public and which were private.

Specialized health SNS such as PatientsLikeMe and DailyStrength offer emotional support, social support, and
patient empowerment; some also offer physician Q&A, quantified self-tracking, and clinical trials access. PatientsLikeMe includes support for mental disorders such as anxiety, bipolar affective disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; DailyStrength provides support for an even broader array of mental health issues. In an online SNS, inhibitions may be lowered, anxiety may be lessened, and anonymity may be increased. This presents the ideal 24/7 support for treatment of people with disorders such as depression. Indeed, the Pew report showed that teens look online for health information about issues they find are embarrassing to talk about such as drugs, sex, and depression.

Of course, there are cautions. One study found that people with depression who used an online SNS spiraled down if they had friends who were moderately or severely depressed and had a negative opinion of the SNS. The researchers concluded that the SNS could be helpful if people take a break from it if their posts elicit these reactions.

A position paper on pervasive healthcare concludes that “[provided-designed systems and services] should include help for people to access peer-to-peer social support sharing and caring in order to encourage sustained engagement with self management to build positive healthy identities for themselves.” Online health consumers are beginning to rely on “patient opinion leaders” for advice on chronic conditions such as mental disorders, and we need to be there with them. Of course, we must be mindful of issues such as privacy and data accuracy as we create tools to help SNS participants balance their needs to share information with their needs to manage self-presentation. Nonetheless, as clinicians and researchers, we should take advantage of SNS to extend the practice of evidence based medicine and mental health.

 

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Medical Institute

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments
Oct 4 2010
2010 Fall Editorial

Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Fall 2010, Volume 3, Issue 3

 

 EDITORIAL

We are pleased to bring the Fall 2010 issue of the Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation (JCR) to our expand- ing audience around the world. Our quarterly published peer-reviewed academic journal explores the uses of ad- vanced technologies for therapy, training, education, prevention and rehabilitation. JCR continues to actively focus on the rapidly expanding worldwide trend of applying groundbreaking technology towards the field of healthcare.

To educate our readers on new advancements in fields such as robotics, adaptive displays, E-health, virtual re- ality (VR) and non-invasive physiological monitoring as they are applied to diverse disciplines in healthcare, we present comprehensive articles submitted by preeminent scholars in the field. This issue includes topics such as the creation of a virtual aquatic world to aid in education and using night vision during operations to possibly allow greater VR immersion for patients while in surgery.

In the first article of this issue, Wrzesien presents a pilot evaluation of a virtual interactive learning system aiming to teach children about the Mediterranean Sea and relevant ecological issues. The author also considers ways to improve the software after receiving preliminary feed- back.

Next, King, Delfabbro and Griffiths show the reader how cognitive-behavioral therapy might be employed to treat addicts of video games and discuss preliminary treatment techniques for such an addiction.

Thirdly, Rodrigues, Sauzéon, Wallet and N’Kaoua present a study comparing subjects’ spatial performance on a pedestrian route based on the type of learning environment, real or virtual, the exploration mode used during the learning phase and the type of spatial test administered at retrieval. Through this study the authors hope to further

In the fourth article Cowan et al. discuss a serious game for the purpose of teaching orthopedic surgery residents a total knee arthroplasty procedure using a problem based learning approach. The study assessed user per- ceptions of the game’s ease of use and potential for learning and engagement.

In the following article, Stadie et al. examine the differences in efficacy of reconstructing a 3-D arrangement of objects presented as a real model, a magnetic resonance image (MRI) or a VR model. The findings were then ap- plied to real life scenarios aiming to optimize the visual basis for anatomy training and surgery planning.

In the sixth article, Mosso et al. present results of surgeries performed on rabbits using night vision goggles and list ways in which this could benefit patients in the future, such as allowing for greater immersion and distrac- tion during operations using VR in a dark room.

Lastly, Tse and Ho address the management of chronic pain in the elderly population, focusing on a non-pharmacological method known as multisensory stimulation therapy.

While continuing to provide our readers with the latest scholarly studies presented in an informative and engag- ing medium, we will continue to offer the newly added Continuing Education quiz (see page 337 for more details) each issue. In addition, we will now be bringing the readers book reviews, the first of which appears in this issue on page 334, discussing “Interface Fantasy: A Lacanian Cyborg Ontology” by André Nusselder.

Although JCR has been receiving international attention from peers, international institutions and international conferences for some time, we are excited to inform readers that JCR is also continuing to become more widely known and recognized by the scientific commu- nity, as evidenced by the fact that it is now indexed with PsycINFO, Elsevier, Cabell’s, Gale and EBSCO. This recognition will further our cause to inform the wider community about ways in which healthcare can benefit from the applications of advanced technologies.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the contributing authors for their inspiring work and ded- ication to this field of research. I also want to as always thank JCR’s Associate Editors – Professors Botella, Bouchard, Gamberini and Riva for their leadership and hard work, as well as or internationally renowned Edi- torial Board for their contributions. Thank you also to our outside reviewers for taking the time to ensure the rigorous nature of the articles.

As always, we welcome your submissions, comments, and thoughts on innovation.

Lastly, I would like to recognize what a huge success our 15th CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference, held in Seoul, Korea in June, was. As you know, JCR is one of the two official journals of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training & Rehabilitation (iACToR). The annual international conference series agreed, in 2009, to become the official conference of iACToR. So, along with CyberPsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking Journal (CPB&SN), CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation (C&R) Magazine, and JCR, we cele- brate our Combined Communications Platform. We are very excited for next year’s conference to be held June 20-22 in Gatineau, Canada.

We look forward to the future growth of our cause and thank you, our readers and subscribers, for your continued support.

 

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Medical Institute

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments
Jun 1 2010
2010 Summer Editorial

Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Summer 2010, Volume 3, Issue 2

 

 EDITORIAL

Welcome to the Summer 2010 issue of the Journal of Cy- berTherapy & Rehabilitation (JCR). As you know, JCR is one of the two official journals of the International As- sociation of CyberPsychology, Training & Rehabilitation (iACToR). Now in its 15th year, the annual international CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference (CT15) agreed, in 2009, to become the official conference of iACToR. So, along with CyberPsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking Journal (CPB&SN), CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation (C&R) Magazine, and JCR, we cele- brate our Combined Communications Platform. The journals, conference, magazine, and association combine into one powerful platform to address previous informa- tion deficits in the utilization of advanced technologies in healthcare. We will strive to speak with a united voice to inform and educate about the uses of technologies in healthcare, as well as how technologies are impacting behavior and society.

This year we are proud to be holding CT in Asia for the first time. Organized by the Interactive Media Institute (IMI), a 501c3 nonprofit organization, in cooperation with Hanyang University, CT15 is being held June 13- 15, 2010 in Seoul, Korea. This venue speaks to the con- tinued growth and collaboration, not just amongst Europe and America, but also amongst researchers and scholars worldwide. This year’s conference theme is two fold: First, CT15 will explore technologies as enabling tools. This will include the uses of advanced technolo- gies such as virtual reality simulations, videogames, tele- health, video-conferencing, the internet, robotics, brain computer interfaces, wearable computing, non-invasive physiological monitoring devices, in diagnosis, assess- ment, and prevention of mental and physical disorders. In addition, we will look at interactive media in training, education, rehabilitation, and therapeutic interventions. Second, CT15 will explore the impact of new technolo- gies. CT15 will investigate how new technologies are in- fluencing behavior and society through cyberadvertising, cyberfashion, and cyberstalking, to name a few.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are helping to make this year’s conference possible
through their tireless energy and drive – the Co-Orga- nizer and Conference Co-Chair Professor Sun Kim; this year’s Scientific Chairs, Professors Stéphane Bouchard, José Gutiérrez Maldonado and Giuseppe Riva; Tutorial Chairs, Professor Luciano Gamberini and Alessandra Gorini; Exhibit Chair and Conference Organizer, Profes- sor Jang-Han Lee; Cyberarium Chair Professor Hunter Hoffman; and Technical Chairs Professors Mariano Al- cañiz and Evangelos Bekiaris. Many thanks also to the Scientific Committee, made up of prominent researchers from around the world, and the Local Advisory Commit- tee in Seoul, as well as all of the presenters and attendees. Finally, my gratitude to James Cullen and Jang-Han Lee for overseeing the Conference Coordination, and to the teams at Hanyang University, Interactive Media Institute, Virtual Reality Medical Center, and Virtual Realty Med- ical Institute for their time and contributions to all facets of the conference.

To our sponsors, who continue to support our vision and help make it a reality, a warm and heartfelt thank you – Bionet, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/ Defense Science Office (DARPA/DSO), the European Commission, DGINFSO, Hanyang University, Institute of Aging Society Silver & u-Health Research Center, the Interactive Media Institute, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, OsteoSys, Université du Québec en Outaouais, the Virtual Reality Medical Center, and the Virtual Reality Medical Insti- tute.

As integral parts of our Combined Communications Plat- form, the CT Conference series will continue to work to- gether with iACToR, JCR, and C&R to educate industry, academia, and government officials on the explosive growth of advanced technologies for therapy, training, education, prevention and rehabilitation.

As in previous conferences, this year’s conference will be hosting an interactive exhibit area, the Cyberarium, which allows conference attendees and members of the press to try new technologies firsthand. To recognize outstanding achievements by students, new researchers, as well as lifetime achievement to a senior researcher, we will also be hosting awards during the conference and announcing the 2010-2011 iACToR officers during the General Assembly. Pre-conference workshops will high- light psychotherapeutic applications, brain computer in- terface devices, rehabilitation for seasoned researchers, and an introduction to VR will be given for those newer in the field.

As we approach CT15 with excitement, we begin too to look toward next year’s conference, CyberPsychology &
CyberTherapy 16, to be held in Gatineau, Canada on June 20-22, 2011. Thank you again for your commitment to the evolution of healthcare!

 

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Medical Institute

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments
Mar 1 2010
2010 Spring Editorial

Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Spring 2010, Volume 3, Issue 1

 

EDITORIAL

Welcome, readers and researchers, to the Spring 2010 issue of the Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation (JCR). Our peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal continues to explore and support the uses of advanced technologies for therapy, training, education, preven- tion and rehabilitation. JCR is unique in the fact that it focuses on the rapidly expanding worldwide trend of applying ground-breaking technology towards the field of healthcare, with an emphasis on the fields of psychi- atry, psychology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurorehabilitation, oncology, obesity, eating disorders and autism.

With a growing international base of readers and sup- porters driven by a similar goal of advancing the use of technology in the healthcare sector, JCR has re- ceived positive attention from peers, international in- stitutions and international conferences. To keep readers abreast of new developments, within this issue of JCR we present comprehensive articles submitted by preeminent scholars in the field, featuring such top- ics as combining physical activity with learning in an augmented reality setting, including the sense of ol- faction more commonly in VR, and how communica- tion is used in virtual worlds like Second Life.

In the first article Voorhees et al. study the relationship between attitude and adherence to treatment in adoles- cents with sub-threshold depression in order to improve public health strategies to prevent depressive disorders.

Next, Baus and Bouchard address the sense of olfaction and ways in which it can further and enrich VR any ad- vocate the growth of the field while discussing possible applications in virtual environments.

In an attempt to merge learning and physical activity in the classroom, Hsiao next looks at using augmented re- ality and VR applications to provide more effective teaching methods and increase retention, while provid- ing much-needed exercise to the younger population at the same time.

In the fourth article, Alquda et al. use Virtual Humans to look at how race and sex can affect how people interpret others’ pain, pain coping skills, related mood, and other factors.

Lastly, Park discusses the use of Second Life as an ex- ample of how activities in virtual worlds might be used as a communication environment to better understand each other, with an emphasis in this study on gender.

As well as continuing to provide our readers with the latest studies presented in an informative and engaging medium, we will be offering one Continuing Education quiz per issue as a further added service to our sub- scribers and others interested in supporting their educa- tion. For more information, see page 95.

I would like to sincerely thank the contributing authors for their inspiring work and dedication to this field of research. I also want to thank JCR’s Associate Editors – Professor Botella, Professor Bouchard, Professor Gamberini and Professor Riva for their leadership and hard work, as well as or internationally renowned Edi- torial Board for their contributions. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome new Board members – Linda A. Jackson of Michigan State University, Julian Dooley of Edith Cowan University, Wijnand IJsselsteijn from the Eindhoven University of Technology, Joshua Fogel from the University of New York, and XiaoXiang Zheng of Zhejiang University – whose diverse back- ground and placement around the globe will bring added richness to our board. We encourage readers and sub- scribers to contact us with ideas and we welcome sub- missions. Your input continues to enrich our publication.

With the start of a new year, new possibilities abound and we will continue to promote the growth of the di- verse field of advanced technologies for healthcare in Europe and worldwide. We are happy to count you as a part of this movement and thank you for your continued support.

 

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Medical Institute

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments
Dec 1 2009
2009 Winter Editorial

Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Winter 2009, Volume 2, Issue 4

 

EDITORIAL

Welcome to the Winter 2009 issue of the Journal of Cy- berTherapy & Rehabilitation (JCR). We are pleased to bring this special issue of our publication to readers, critics and researchers around the world. Our peer-re- viewed academic journal explores the uses of advanced technologies for therapy, training, education, prevention and rehabilitation. JCR is a quarterly published aca- demic journal, unique in the fact that it focuses on the rapidly expanding worldwide trend of applying ground- breaking technology towards the field of healthcare. Psychiatry, psychology, physical medicine and rehabil- itation, neurorehabilitation, oncology, obesity, eating disorders and autism continue to be main areas of inter- est studied by JCR.

Since our inaugural issue, JCR has received interna- tional attention from peers, international institutions and international conferences. A common thirst for new knowledge and application of cutting-edge technolo- gies to better the lives of others brings this diverse group of people towards a similar goal. Advanced tech- nologies, such as robotics, adaptive displays, E-health, virtual reality (VR) and non-invasive physiological monitoring are now applied to many diverse fields of healthcare. As this body of research is added to, pa- tients, doctors and therapists can look towards a hopeful future and new ways to treat mental and physical dis- orders. Within this issue of JCR, we present compre- hensive review articles submitted by preeminent scholars in the field. The content is diverse, featuring such topics as VR immersions, the effects of video game playing and even online forums to treat sufferers of disease.

This special issue of JCR includes three full papers, as well as all presented abstracts, written by presenters from the “Beyond Brain Machine Interface: Motor, Cognitive and Virtual” pre-conference workshop, held September 2, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The conference, co-organized by the Army Research Office, IEEE EMBS and the Interactive Media Institute, edu- cated attendees on more efficient and intuitive ways of achieving system control than manual manipulation and allowed for discourse among academics, members of the scientific community, biomedical device engineers and the clinician user community. Scientists from five different countries and ten diverse institutions gathered to discuss these technologies and developments in their fields of research, and gave formal presentations on their papers.

In this issue’s first article Cai, Milcent and Franco ex- plore the human-machine visual digest system by fo- cusing on the relationship between gaze and object. They describe ways to better utilize network bandwidth and in turn, minimize the resulting media footprint by combining human vision and machine vision.

Next, Scherer et al. discuss brain-computer interface re- search using EEG and ECoG-based paradigms that are presented to the reader, along with ways to improve in- formation transfer rates. Different BCI projects are dis- cussed, such as an anatomically correct testbed for a human hand model.

In the following article, Raspelli et al. conduct further research on the Multiple Errands Test, applying virtual reality to assess executive functions in patients suffer- ing from Parkinson’s disease and stroke.

In the fourth manuscript, Pallavicini et al. report find- ings on a study to treat sufferers of Generalized Anxiety Disorder using biofeedback, virtual reality and mobile phones. The use of mobile phones allowed patients to continue treatment in an outpatient setting and ad- dresses the classic problem associated with VR ther- apy–the lack of mobility for the treatment system.

Gras, Hummer and Hine, in the fifth manuscript, com- pare the reliability and validity of the Nintendo Wii Fit to the widely used NeuroCom EquiTest, to measure bal- ance and help rehabilitate patients.

Lastly, Cantelmi and Talli explain the psychological and psychopathological risks associated with overuse of the Internet, including the problems associated with defining a relevant syndrome, possible diagnostic cri- teria and possible therapies for treatment.

This issue of JCR will continue to explore the ways in which healthcare, in Europe and worldwide, can benefit from the applications of technology. I would like to sin- cerely thank the contributing authors for their inspiring work and dedication to this field of research. I also want to thank JCR’s Associate Editors – Professor Botella, Professor Bouchard, Professor Gamberini and Professor Riva for their leadership and hard work, as well as our internationally renowned Editorial Board for their contributions. We encourage readers and subscribers to con- tact us with ideas and manuscripts. Your input continues to enrich our publication. Looking to 2010, we are op- timistic as this diverse field continues to grow and at- tract those wishing to learn more and those already supporting and implementing new technologies. With only more room to grow, we will continue to bring you news of further developments in the upcoming year.

 

Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCIA

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation

Virtual Reality Medical Institute

Brenda Wiederhold 0 Comments