Monitor on Psychology - October 2011 - (Page 70)

HOW THE WEB IS CHANGING US NIMH invests in BY S AD IE DI NG FELDER • Monitor staff Photos.com IT-enhanced interventions The institute seeks to fund interventions that are ‘pushing the envelope.’ O nly about 40 percent of the 60 million people in the United States with a mental health problem receive any care at all, and only about 33 percent of that group receive what the field considers to be minimally acceptable care, said National Institute on Mental Health program officer Adam Haim, PhD, at APA’s 2011 Annual Convention. To bridge that gap, NIMH is funding researchers who are developing ways to use modern communication technology, such as personal digital assistants, cellphones and the Web, to reach more people, he said. “Clearly there is a need for interventions for individuals who are being underserved or receiving no services at all,” said Haim. Most of NIMH’s IT-enhanced grants are developing interventions that harness personal computers, and about 60 percent use the Web, he said. However, “we are seeing a shift toward mobile devices, and that shift is going to happen quickly,” Haim said. Within NIMH, the biggest funders of ITenhanced research are the Division of Services and Intervention Research and the Division of AIDS Research, he said. And while most IT enhanced grants are large-scale research grants, known as R01s, the agency is increasingly using R44 and R43 grants to fund small businesses’ efforts to develop technology, Haim said. Most of NIMH’s IT-enhanced intervention based research uses technology as an adjunct to traditional in-person, one-on- one therapy. However, the agency is interested in research that explores ways to reach multiple people simultaneously, Haim said. “We want to have and fund the grants that are really pushing the envelope, we want to rapidly test and refine these technologies, and we want rapid uptake of interventions,” he said. Telehealth is clearly a growing practice area, observed session chair Linda Campbell, PhD, but many questions remain unanswered about its ethical and legal implications. To begin to answer those questions, APA and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards have formed a joint task force and begun to collect different groups’ comments on the issue, she said. The legal, regulatory and reimbursement landscape for telepsychology is also in flux, said Deborah C. Baker, JD, director of regulatory affairs for APA’s Practice Directorate. Three states — California, Kentucky, and Vermont — have enacted telehealth laws, and several state licensing boards have opined on the issue, she said. “If you do live in a state that has a state telehealth law, make sure you understand what definition of telehealth they are using, and whether it applies to you,” she said. n For more about the current state of telepsychology, visit www.apa.org/monitor/2011/06/telehealth.aspx. MONITOR ON PSYCHOLOGY • OCTOBER 2011 70 http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/06/telehealth.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - October 2011

Monitor on Psychology - October 2011
President’s Column
Subtle and stunning slights
Contents
From the CEO
Live science on the showroom floor
Zimbardo re-examines his landmark study
Ready, set, mentor
Attention students and ECPs: Self-care is an ‘ethical imperative’
Suicide risk is high among war veterans in college, study finds
Psychotherapy is effective and here’s why
From toilet to tap: getting people to drink recycled water
What’s ahead for psychology practice?
A push for more accountability is changing the accreditation process
Peer, parental support prove key to fighting childhood obesity
Popular media’s message to girls
Bullying may contribute to lower test scores
A consequence of cuckoldry: More (and better) sex?
Manatees’ exquisite sense of touch may lead them into dangerous waters
Building a better tomato
How will China’s only children care for their aging parents?
‘Spice’ and ‘K2’: New drugs of abuse now on the market
Many suspects don’t understand their right to remain silent
In Brief
Boosting minority achievement
Where’s the progress?
And social justice for all
Helping new Americans find their way
Segregation’s ongoing legacy
A new way to combat prejudice
Retraining the biased brain
Suppressing the ‘white bears’
How to eat better — mindlessly
Protect your aging brain
Must babies always breed marital discontent?
Outing addiction
Flourish 2051
The danger of stimulants
Keys to making integrated care work
Is technology ruining our kids?
Facebook: Friend or foe?
The promise of Web 3.0
NIMH invests in IT enhanced interventions
Science Directions
Science Directions
PsycAdvocates work to safeguard key programs
The psychology of spending cuts
APA’s strategic plan goes live
Visionary leaders
Bravo!
Vote on bylaws amendments

Monitor on Psychology - October 2011