Integration of Cyberspace Behavior and E-Therapy in Mental Health Care
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 54
Special Issue Editors
2. HEI-Lab, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies (ULHT), 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: psychophysiology; cognitive neuropsychology; virtual reality for neurocognitive assessment and rehabilitation; e-health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. HEI-Lab, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies (ULHT), 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: computer graphics; serious games; virtual reality; geometric modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. HEI-Lab, Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies (ULHT), 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: bullying and cyberbullying; serious games to promote pro-social behaviors and counter (cyber)bullying; virtual reality in psychological intervention
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Digital technologies are evolving rapidly, enabling significant transformations in mental health care. With the increased prevalence of mental health issues worldwide, and across different age groups, innovative and engaging solutions are needed to support these individuals. These are important, not only for providing effective care on site, but also to account for accessibility for ambulatory patients and follow-up care.
A promising strategy is the integration of cyberspace behavior analysis, considering that online behaviors may provide valuable insights into individuals’ mental state, and further ahead, this would enable for personalized e-therapy that could be integrated into mental health care practices. That is, by analyzing digital behavior, along language patterns in virtual communications, for example, it is possible to detect early signs of mental health conditions, such as depression. This can be achieved through the use of artificial intelligence by developing predictive models aimed at detecting these signs, and this could further allow the adaption of intervention strategies tailored to each case. Moreover, by understanding cyberspace behavior, it is possible to design the most fitted e-therapy interventions, considering strengths and limitations of potential users, allowing several forms of e-therapy, from tele-psychology to more complex VR-based psychological interventions.
Nonetheless, to continue to expand on this approach, it is necessary to take into account important ethical considerations, namely with regard to data access. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary framework must be contemplated, as it depends on the cooperation between several stakeholders, such as researchers, clinicians, developers, decision-makers and social media platforms. Hence, comprehensive studies combining technological components aimed at assessing online behaviors, with real-world applications, are crucial for advancing the field of mental health care.
Dr. Jorge Oliveira
Prof. Dr. Pedro Gamito
Dr. Sofia Mateus Francisco
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- cyberspace behavior
- E-therapy
- mental health care
- AI
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