Paro: The Mental Committment Robot

This cute and fuzzy fake seal is suppose to invoke relaxation, motivation, improvement of vital signs, and activation of communication among inpatients and caregivers for elderly and children. This is called the Paro and it is a robotic mental commitment robot. What does this mean? They have been developed to interact with human beings and to make them feel emotional attachment to the robots. It is comparable to animal therapy and the proven relaxation that comes from this method of therapy. The negative effects of animal therapy is the animal itself, and its restrictions from various locations, hospitals, clinics, etc. due to the nature of an animal (according to this website). They invented the Paro to avoid the these negative effects, while keeping the positive one's from eliminating the pet dander and bites, to keeping the softness of the animal and emotion like expressions. The robot responds to commands, stroking, sleeps, and other behavior resembling that of a seal. Dr.Takanori Shibata modeled the robot after a seal to eliminate biases of the consumers from previous experiences with household pets, also that the seal is cute and seen as friendly. This is a robot that could be used in a clinic with patients to develop interpersonal skills with their caregivers or to relax patients. The video below with the Alzheimer's patient and the Paro seems to help the patient relax, but this video could also be staged (pulling it directly off the website). It seems more like one of those pet toys one has a little child than a therapeutic tool, then again anything can be used as a therapeutic tool. This could be help in a Therapists office or even for patients to utilize at home as a coping/relaxation tool.

http://paro.jp/english/index.html

Sexting Leads to Teen Suicide

It is so important to get restrictions around how we handle our technology. This is how we protect people. You can file for harassment easily when someone gets physical, but the psychological effects of verbal harassment can be more devastating then physical harassment as proven in this unfortunate incident. This is case is just another form of cyberbullying. The problem with bullying is you never know someones breaking point until they break, and unfortunately there could be no turning back depending on how the victim responds. We need to figure out jurisdiction, restrictions, and ways of prosecuting for these cyber cases, so people can be protected and victims can feel vindicated.

Craiglist Suspect & The Potential for Virtual Serial Killers

People are amazed how those who knew the Craigslist suspect keep saying how great of a guy he was, friendly, he was and how they would have never suspected him. He was essentially leading a double life, keeping it a secret from everyone. The Psychiatrist in the article who studies serial killers, states that it is not unusual for them to keep their criminal activities hidden from families and close friends. Social networking sites and the virtual platform seem to be the ideal place for serial killers: the virtual serial killer. It gives them the option to lead their second life online, and unfortunately, the victims are easy accessible and people are becoming less taboo about meeting people who they meet online. These were sex workers involved in the Craiglists case, it makes it easier for killers to choose there target and lure them in. I can see more creative criminal acts via the web and because of this, people need to be aware that people are not always who they say they are and protect themselves. These sick criminal minds are not new to our society, they have been here for years, it is just that now they have a greater opportunity to prey via the web with access to more victims, more secrecy about their identity, and a clearer division between their dual personalities with the real world and virtual platform.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30321664/

Mom was right!

A national study finds nearly 1 in 10 youth gamers are addicted to video games. And even though mom's all across America have been saying it for years, this study proves that the 1 in 10 actually addicted are pathological players, causing family, social, school, or psychological damages because of their addictive behavior. These players play 24 hours per week, double what non-addictive players play. They are also twice as likely to have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. These pathological players have trouble paying attention in school, receive poor grades, have more health problems, feel "addicted" and have even stole to support their habit. So, the next time you buy your child the latest video game for a present, rethink the gift, try a volleyball or maybe even a book, you might be preventing a harmful addiction.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/04/20/national.study.finds.nearly.1.10.youth.gamers.addicted.video.games

Do you know your boundaries?

This study suggest that people protect their own privacy and other's without notice. Some Facebook users feel they could express themselves freely if they only selected a limited number of people as friends or sending private messages or private groups. Some avoid updating their status with information they do not want everyone to see, the study says that this is all a matter of trustworthiness. I would say it involves trustworthiness, but more so is related to boundary setting which is different than trustworthiness. Boundaries are usually determined by physical space, but I think we can define our Facebook profiles as a physical space in the virtual world. Some people have semi-permeable boundaries, they let anyone into their space in and out easily. Others have permeable boundaries, not letting others in and out easily. Certain psychological test have proven that there is a balance and those on the extreme, have usually had some type of trauma occur or have had the boundaries blurred, which is unhealthy because they are aware of themselves in relationship and that could lead to further damage of the person. I think social networks play on those with semi-permeable boundaries and gives them a window to expose themselves even more. It is easier because on social networking sites there are more people to expose yourself to. For those who already had balanced healthy boundaries, I bet they will show results similar to these people. I think it would be interesting to do this study with people who have both unbalanced and balanced boundaries and see how the results turn out. I guarantee it it those with loose boundaries that are not protecting their information or others. Do you know yours?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420084957.htm

Are you a Facebook Narcissist?

University of Georgia ran a study that suggest Facebook might potentially be a tool for detecting narcissism. Three characteristics that are touched on in the article are the quantity of social interaction, attractiveness of the individual, and the degree of self promotion in the main photo. Though narcissism sounds like a light hearted disorder it leads to the inability to form healthy long-term relationships. The person knows how to lure those and uses him/her around them for their own advantage, hurting those around him/her and inevitably himself/herself. A doctorate psychology student says these traits are consistent with how narcissists behave in the real-world. The growth of social networking sites has led psychologists to explore how personality traits are expressed online. I would venture to say though, not all of those who are narcissistic online are in the real-world. I think the virtual world leaves room for dual personalities, and traits that might be repressed in the real world, the virtual world might be a good platform to express these.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922135231.htm

Let your mind GO GREEN!

When is the last time you looked at a tree as long as you have looked at your screen? Studies show that modern life behavior such as computing place a burden on our brains and bodies and a the connection to nature is vital to our psyche because it helps us recharge our brains so that we're better able to cope with the stresses in life.

Recently, there have been several homicide cases that have been connected to mental illness, it could be a factor that our society is moving away from our connection to nature, not recharging, and learning how to cope with stress effectively. A study showed that parenting skills declined, aggression increases and playful activity stops. Another experiment showed that children with mental disorders functioned better after a "green" activity as opposed to a "non-green", such as sitting in front of the TV, computer and video games.

Advances in technology are great, but let's not forget about our natural resources and that they hold a purpose, for us to recharge our brains. After some of these studies, urban communities are realizing the importance of "Going Green" for our minds, Chicago undertook a $10 million tree-planting incentive, and Philadelphia, New York, and D.C. are right behind them. Now it is up to us to take advantage of it...lets unplug for a minute and enjoy the green!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30192793/

Another Distraction, Another Addiction

It seems as if everyone is joining Twitter and once people are on they are "hooked", just as this licensed psychologists and expert in Internet addiction states. She says it is a good way for her to connect with those in her field, but are we just using this an excuse to keep our distractions that turn into addictions? She could very well keep in touch with those people at conference, over the phone, but why another social networking site? One that seems to promote staying on it constantly and tracking the day by day, minute by minute occurrences of someone. How can this not develop into an addiction, in essence isn't that the premise, that you need to be on it all the time to see what is going on? This is why we want followers and we want the tweets sent to our phones, we don't want to miss a beat! For those who have self control there should be no cause to worry, but for most who don't, well...at least this therapist, who specializes in Internet addiction, should expect a few more clients.

http://www.mentalhealthonthewebblog.com/?p=33

Unplugged...

According to Anxiety Disorder Association of America, 6.8 million suffer from Anxiety and 18.8 million suffer from depression, so no wonder people are so attracted to the web. It is painful to spend time with yourself when suffering from the these disorders. So many people actually have these disorders and are unaware of it, just living each day with the symptoms. Dr. Goldstein eludes people using the web as an escape and it being harmful because it is not present to life and we escape so frequently. It is great to find a coping technique, and utilize the developments on the web, but it can become a not only a negative addictive behavior, but an even further hindrance to a disorder most people have and might not know of. Ask yourself the following questions she asks in the article:

How often do you catch yourself on auto-pilot?
How much of the day are you connected to email, the web, the cell phone, or television?
What would your world be like to disconnect from one of these from time to time?

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/03/are-you-overconnected/

Interview with Online Therapists

This interview shed some perspective from the Therapist point of view about Online Therapy. They bring up topics, questions, and concerns that come up frequently and points that I had never thought of and I found interesting. The therapist who were interviewed are well versed in the practices of therapy online and their implications. I have summed up some key points that stood out to me:

• Anthony realised the the advantages of online therapy after a conference on Telephone Helplines, which seems like a great comparison
• Nagel believes that in order for more people to trust in-world therapy online security and encryption must improve and the virtual platforms so there is less risk of technological breakdowns. I could see how that would pose a problem or be frustrating for the patient if you are in the middle of divulging yourself and your systems crashes.
• Nagel believes that even for Internet addicts this could be a good medium for support because it would teach them how to have a healthy relationship online.
• Online people are less inhibited and disclose information due to person's sense of anonymity
• Age and informed consent are important when practicing online therapy. Something that is harder to verify online than in person.
• Mental health professionals need to explore a clients alternative crisis intervention based on their geographical location.
• Therapist must be consider befriending their clients on social networks, such as Facebook or MySpace, is this appropriate or ethical?
• Online Therapy Institute has a strong interest in the prevention and treatment of Cyberbulling, which seems like a great avenue to tackle this rising issue.

As from the interview itself, I found a great resource International Society for Mental Health Online(ISMHO), where there are a list of resources regarding Online Therapy: http://www.ismho.org/home.asp


http://www.metaversejournal.com/2009/03/30/interview-deeanna-nagel-and-kate-anthony-online-therapy-institute/

"Psychotherapy Gets Extra Privacy and Security Measures"

As of February 17th, patients do not have to worry about a breach in privacy due to added technology or electronically sent information. Not only are will the standards of HIPAA be raised, but their is an even stronger provisions for psychotherapy records.

The stigma that follows patients seeking psychiatric treatment and depending on their mental stability at the time is extremely harmful and very dangerous if information is exposed. Not only for social reasons, but economical to being denied a job and a multitude of other negative consequences.

The advancements in psychotherapy and getting the greater public to understand how important and sensitive this matter is are great. Even in the military, when a point in time a commanding officer could get any and all records just 20 years ago, now we are at a point where their records are almost if not just as private as civilians.

Some benefits that come with this new law for the psychotherapy world are:

• Implement a process to explore segmenting particularly sensitive patient records (such as mental health records)
• Provide a notice to the patient when privacy is breached
• Protect well-established psychotherapist-patient privilege currently recognized under federal and state law
• Incorporate HIPAA Privacy and Rule Standards where possible, including with regard to psychotherapy notes and other sensitive patient information

Electronic health records network can become a true benefit concerning patient care cost and quick accessibility, I am grateful that is was not at the cost of protection of the patients.

http://www.apa.org/releases/hitech.html

The Implications of fMRI

Functional MRI gives the ability to directly observe brain functions, which open further exploration into the way the brain interacts closer to real time or the more active part of the brain. The potential to decode short-term memory can have other implications.

Having a better understanding in the how the brain is involved with memory storage can lead to further studies involving in treatment of PTSD or even coming closer to a cure for Althemizers.

The first human scan achieved on a MRI was in 1977. This technology has influenced medicine in a such positive way in individual cases and on a grand scale in the medical world. Psychologist have been able to make connections to brain activity with human behavior due to the images developed via MRI and the development of psychotropic medication. With the fMRI being able to depict the active part of the brain, the territory of exploration has become wider and possibilities even greater.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/02/20/decoding.short.term.memory.with.fmri http://www.fmri.columbia.edu/fmri.htm

The Emotional Robot

Autistic children tend to have developmental setbacks with social and relationship skills. These children can overcome these hurtles with extreme care and attention, modeling someone possessing effective social skills. This can become every time consuming for the parents and because it is a round the clock job can become very expensive as well.

With that in mind, it is understandable and every encouraged (financially) the invention of robot to monitor children with autism. It could potentially make the streamline the treatment streamline and make it cost-effective. But how would the robot be able to teach the child effective social skills.

An essential part in building social skills and emotions are learning how to respond in other reactions and emotional states. Though this has been the roadblock for the development of this robot, even if the reaction is perfected, it would be impossible for the robot to have every accurate response to an autistic child, if so humans would have perfected it first.

Computers are great, but they can not replace human interaction, which is essential to anyone suffering from any type of emotional or mental disability. I could not feel safe leaving my child with a robot expecting it to know what my child needs at every moment, emotions are erratic, computers are not even designed that way. This could be an advantage for the pocket, but a true disadvantage for the child that needs no more disadvantages.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/02/17/robot.playmates.monitor.emotional.state.children.with.asd