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 28
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
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- cyberspace behavior
- E-therapy
- mental health care
- AI
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
