Use of Mobile Applications in Smoking, Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Currently, technology and mobile health applications are developing and being applied in different fields every day. Especially the use of mobile technology in many health fields offers various opportunities for the use of mobile applications in smoking, alcohol and substance use disorders, which is an important public mental health problem. The aim of this review study was to examine 16 mobile applications designed for the treatment and monitoring of smoking, alcohol and substance use. It was concluded that self-monitoring, notification and warning systems, location services, peer and expert support services were frequently used in the analyzed mobile applications. As a result of the studies, the use of mobile applications as a preventive intervention in the prevention of addiction and as an additional treatment option in addiction treatment is promising. However, this situation brings along various harms, risks and obstacles. This review of the relevant literature provides a critical update of mobile applications used in smoking, alcohol and substance use disorders. This review is expected to be an important guide for mental health professionals and mobile application designers working on addiction.

Keywords

• Mobile application
• digital health
• addiction
• community mental health

Mobil Uygulamaların Sigara, Alkol ve Madde Kullanım Bozukluklarında Kullanımı

Öz

Günümüzde teknoloji ile mobil sağlık uygulamalarının geliştiği ve her geçen gün farklı alanlarda uygulandığı bilinmektedir. Özellikle mobil teknolojinin birçok sağlık alanında kullanılması önemli bir toplum ruh sağlığı sorunu olan sigara, alkol ve madde kullanım bozukluklarında mobil uygulamaların kullanımı için çeşitli fırsatlar sunmaktadır. Bu derleme çalışmasında sigara, alkol ve madde kullanımı tedavisi ve izlemi için tasarlanan 16 mobil uygulamanın incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. İncelenen mobil uygulamalarda çoğunlukla kendini takip, bildirim ve uyarı sistemlerinin, konum hizmetlerinin, akran ve uzman desteği hizmetlerinin sıklıkla kullanıldığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Yapılan çalışmalar sonucunda mobil uygulamaların bağımlılığın önlenmesinde koruyucu bir müdahale olarak ve bağımlılık tedavisinde ek bir tedavi seçeneği olarak kullanımı umut vaat etmektedir. Ancak bu durum çeşitli zararları, riskleri ve engelleri de beraberinde getirmektedir. İlgili literatür doğrultusunda yapılan incelemede sigara, alkol ve madde kullanım bozukluklarında kullanılan mobil uygulamalara eleştirel bir inceleme sağlanmıştır. Bu derlemenin, bağımlılık konusunda çalışan ruh sağlığı profesyonelleri ve mobil uygulama tasarımcıları için önemli bir rehber olabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• mobil uygulama
• dijital sağlık
• bağımlılık
• toplum ruh sağlığı

Kaynakça

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