Abstract
Currently, there is no reliable cure for mental disorder such as depression. However, there are a few strategies which can help in the treatment of their symptoms. These comprise both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of the Internet and computer-based programs as an appropriate intervention tool for older adults with depression. This is done by conducting a literature search in the databases Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE and Springer, and consequently by evaluating the findings of the relevant studies. Based on the findings, computer-based programs targeted at older people with depression may be beneficial in several ways: they are non-invasive treatments, they can be tailored-made to older people’s needs, they are cost-effective and can be made widely available, and they appear to be an effective intervention tool, especially as far as the short-term effects are concerned. Nevertheless, it is important to pay close attention to the methodological standards in future clinical studies, as well as to the efficacy of these computer-based programs aimed at older individuals with depression.
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The paper is supported by the project Excellence (2016/17) at the Faculty of Informatics and Management of the University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
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Klimova, B. (2018). Computer-Based Programs as Suitable Intervention Tools for Older People with Mental Disorders. In: Oliver, N., Serino, S., Matic, A., Cipresso, P., Filipovic, N., Gavrilovska, L. (eds) Pervasive Computing Paradigms for Mental Health. FABULOUS MindCare IIOT 2016 2016 2015. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 207. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74935-8_1
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