About this Research Topic

Background

Since its outbreak in December 2019, coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has so far infected tens of millions of people worldwide. Besides the physical and financial threats, the COVID-19 pandemic has also led to tremendous social and psychological impacts on our global communities. Under such a highly contagious disease, the widespread misinformation, social distancing policies, as well as concomitant occupational stressors have long-term consequences on individual’s mental health, resulting in several emotional disorders (e.g., irrational anxiety and fear) and problematic behaviors (e.g., stock-piling). This situation has called for an urgent need for effective solutions to reduce the psychological burden, and promote healthy behaviors towards COVID-19.

The emerging digital health technologies are often applied to support, improve, and scale up the delivery of psychological and behavioral treatments across a wide range of platforms, from ubiquitous mobile applications to innovative telehealth therapies. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic presents an important opportunity to study the implementation and evaluation of these digital health interventions in the context of public health crisis.

In this light, this Research Topic aims to bring together empirical studies and theoretical discussions of new approaches in digital health interventions that facilitate the positive psychological and/or behavioral changes among various groups to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This collection will focus on development, implementation, and assessment of novel health technologies, including studies and case reports from a highly interdisciplinary point of view to harness strengths and perspectives of diverse experts. We are particularly interested in the research that explores how innovative health technologies are being used to mitigate the negative psychological and behavioral outcomes during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Areas of interest include but are not limited to (For COVID-19):
• Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy
• Effectiveness of telemedicine or eHealth
• Diagnosis, monitoring and treatment via mobile applications
• VR for optimization, treatment, or rehabilitation
• Social media for psychological support or health campaign
• Serious games for mental and behavior changes
• Case reports on feasibility or user acceptability of digital interventions
• Consumer health informatics (e.g., Personal health records and tracking)
• Digital health tools for provider-patient (or family) interaction
• Discussion on implications and psychological impacts of health technologies

Keywords: COVID-19, digital health technology, user evaluation, e-health, psychological intervention, digital therapy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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