Towards a new model in the treatment of emotional disorders through new technologies: a critical revisión Monographic: Use of information and communication technologies in mental health and psychosomatics: Expansion during and after the pandemic

ABSTRACT
Introduction. The treatment of emotional disorders (depressive and anxiety disorders) has become a major challenge for the health system in Spain and globally. This work aims to critically review the status of psychological treatments for emotional disorders, as well as the role of information and communication technologies in improving the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of psychotherapy for this condition.

Methods. The literature has been critically examined by reviewing recently published literature in major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library).

Results. The explosion of new technologies in the field of health has allowed numerous advances in the management of emotional disorders. These range from the use of assessments and momentary ecological interventions supported by web and mobile applications that allow remote monitoring and treatment in real time, to the use of avatars that  allow to improve the therapeutic alliance of technology-based self-applied treatments. The rise of transdiagnostic treatments and process-focused therapy, as well as the emergence
of different artificial intelligence applications, also offer promising solutions to make psychological treatments for emotional disorders more personalized, scalable, and cost- effective.

Discussion. We already have successful examples of self-applied treatments using new technologies in stepped-care models, where such interventions are a first step in the care of persons with an emotional disorder. However, this is still relatively new field of knowledge with scarce evidence of application in real clinical contexts and where innovations are
often poorly integrated. This paper proposes some lines of work to facilitate this paradigm shift towards a more sustainable, scalable, accessible, and cost-effective model for the treatment of emotional disorders. To this end, we propose y integrate various innovations in both the monitoring and the treatment of persons with emotional disorders, always with the support of new technologies.