Digital and interactive technologies in in-patient psychiatric treatment of adolescents – a technology-based therapeutic and pedagogic intervention (SOMOSA-MediaLabR)

Introduction: In the last two decades, the impact of digital and interactive technologies (DITs) on personal and professional life has increased exponentially. Today, the vast majority of the population in industrialized countries uses DITs on a daily basis as their main source of information and as a crucial platform for social exchange and recreation. In the near future, body-attached devices will constantly provide the user with data of the world around and within him. Innovative DITs seem to offer endless possibilities.

Method: A working group consisting of neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, pedagogic and IT-experts, a professional game-tester, and psychiatrists developed the SOMOSA MediaLabR concept.

It includes and combines

• in-depth neuropsychological testing

• cognitive remediation

• a real-life office simulation setting

• a set of individually tailored computer games, creative software programs

• a high-end music recording and producing facility

and the possibility to optimize and critically reflect the social media behavior of the patients.

Results: Pilot Project 2014 – 2015 – preliminary results: The first phase of the implementation of the SOMOSA MediaLabR program integrated three to four patients with ASS, PTSD, and hyper-impulsivity due to ADHD or dissocial developments. The modular concept and the individualized set of methods of DITs provided a well-accepted and personalized approach. The adolescents were in very close cooperation with the professional team to ameliorate the concept. In particular adolescents with difficulties in manual activities very much liked the immediate effects of their actions in a pro social virtual environment. Attention span problems, dissocial behavior and any other disrupting activities could be reduced to a minimum while being in the Medialab.

Conclusion: As adolescents with severe and comorbid mental disorders show specific problems in age- and content- adequate usage of electronic media and therefore will suffer severe disadvantages in the modern working and social life, we advocate an intensified and professionalized integration of DITs in inpatient therapeutic institutions for children and adolescents. The easily applicable SOMOSA MediaLabR concept might constitute a promising first step towards the integration of DITs in multisystemic therapy in this age group.