Weekly Mind Reader: The Digital Era’s Impact on Mental Health

This week covers mental health in the digital era, a ketamine update, and AI’s role in calculating suicide risk.

The Risks of Digital Cessation Programs

The digital age has upended how all of us live and work. Smartphones and tablets – channeling games, social media, and streaming services – have taken center stage in our daily lives. While these technologies no doubt make life easier, they also raise mental health questions.

More than 5 billion people around the world are plugged into the Internet. And research has exposed links between excessive screen time and elevated risks for mental health issues. Anyone already struggling with ADHD, anxiety, and depression is at greater risk.

One case study, appearing in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders this week, presents one example of excessive digital use and the potential pitfalls of unregulated digital detox programs.

The case involves a 24-year-old Indian woman diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and ADHD. The woman sought help from a digital detox camp after years of constant screen use. Her dependence on social media, gaming, and online platforms made her symptoms worse. Those symptoms included trouble concentrating, endless worry, and overall emotional distress.

But the sudden withdrawal from digital life ignited a mental health collapse. On the fourth day of the camp, she started experiencing hallucinations. She also started harming herself, which sent her to the emergency room.

The digital detox camp lacked any mental health professionals on staff, which made things worse.

Although she received treatment and her symptoms improved, the incident sheds light on the pitfalls of these unregulated programs.

This case study makes a compelling argument for the formal regulation of – and the inclusion of mental health support in – these digital detox programs While these programs strive to curb screen dependency, they often lack the professional guidance necessary to handle participants with existing psychiatric conditions.

Finally, experts stress the importance of tailored approaches to screen addiction, calling for clear guidelines to ensure those with mental health vulnerabilities receive appropriate care.

IN OTHER PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROLOGY NEWS

• In a small sample of patients with bipolar depression treated with ketamine/esketamine, no evidence of mania or hypomania was seen during acute treatment, according to original research in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
• PCC published another case report about the age-friendly health systems movement that promotes four evidence-based geriatric care principles known as the “4Ms.”
• JCP also published a study exploring how ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 assess suicide risk factors like previous attempts, gender, and age.
• Another chilling PCC case study recounts a young woman recently diagnosed with a manic episode who developed black discoloration on the dorsum of her tongue three weeks after starting olanzapine.
• Finally, read the latest in our continuing series about PTSD and trauma research.