Triumphs, Trials, Tribulations and Tomorrows re: Technology-delivered Interventions for Youth Anxiety

Hybrid Talk
Zoom link: medsci.zoom.us/j/91582059458?pwd=cmgwbmVzYytUbXZqUkRJSHRXb0oxdz09
Meeting ID: 915 8205 9458 Passcode: 779537

Abstract:
The usage and sophistication of technology-delivered interventions for youth anxiety have increased substantially over the past 20 years. They have progressed from very basic computer programs to much more complex interactive interventions that are delivered using the interactive websites, mobile phones, tablets, and virtual reality. Gradually, randomized controlled trials have emerged to demonstrate that these approaches can produce significant reductions in youth anxiety, and offer a method of increasing access to treatment for many young people who otherwise may not receive the help they need. This presentation will summarize the evidence and exciting developments in the field to date but will then highlight the many challenges that remain. These challenges include finding ways to increase uptake of such interventions by clinicians, increasing therapy compliance among young people and their parents, and meeting the cost of updating program content and platforms to meet changes in technology. Finally, the presentation will summarize some of the next steps in the area, including the development of technology-delivered systems that integrate assessment and treatment in order to provide individually tailored intervention that can address comorbidity with other disorders. It will also discuss the implications for the use of such interventions in contexts such as mental health services, schools, and national dissemination self-help programs, and their value as a component of stepped-care approaches.