Technology is a growing industry, and its growth is immensely noticeable in our day-to-day lives. As the world evolves with technology Kenya is not left behind. Technology is being introduced in every aspect of life including the health sector, especially the mental health department.
Mental health and technology have a dual relationship for instance on the one hand technology has broadened the opportunities for mental health support, and resources like therapy apps telemedicine, etc. while on the other hand, technology has affected the mental health of some individuals negatively, with the overload of social media cyberbullying.
How does technology affect mental health in Kenya?
Technology affects mental health positively and negatively at the same time. the negative side of this may be that it overlaps the privacy of an individual, which leads to stalking and so many more dangerous things cyberbullying, and overload due to overexposure to screens causing low productivity, distraction, and mental toughness.
A boy being distracted by social media
Cyberbullying causes self-induced anxiety and depression. Social media is mostly used at night thus causing poor sleeping habits which eventually turn into tiredness and irritability making an individual unbearable.
Technology also plays a crucial part in the positivity of mental health in our community. With the introduction of teletherapy services that make mental health services more and easily available.
The apps and online platforms such as Wazi Better Help and Niskize which are 24-hour service lines make it easier for people living in remote areas or with functional problems to get help as soon as they need it.
These apps help the user learn the different types of mental health and how to manage and treat them.
What is mental wellness technology?
Mental health wellness technology is a wide variety of digital technologies and systems put in place to promote mental health. These modern technologies are computing and data analysis that are designed to give psychological health values to individuals.
Teletherapy services on a mobile phone
For instance, mood-monitoring apps, these apps track individuals’ emotional states over some time and raise awareness of factors that determine how they feel and mood changes.
in addition to mood monitoring, there are also teletherapy apps that allow mental health support to be easily accessible and convenient.
There are also virtual communities where people exchange their experiences, give each other some peer support, and have a sort of group identity. these technological empowerments work in synergistic collaboration with traditional mental health services to help reduce stigma and support people.
At last, balance is the key. A balanced usage of technology limiting screen time to a reasonable amount and having enough awareness about its effects on mental health, while at the same time realizing that technology is a powerful tool that has a lot of advantages
