Addressing Mental Health with Technology

Joining Jesse and Kevin this week in the MUSC podcast studio is Ken Ruggiero, Ph.D., the Director of the Telehealth Resilience and Recovery Program at MUSC.

Dr. Ruggiero is the creator of “BounceBackNow,” a free mobile app designed to improve the emotional health of adults and families affected by a disaster or suffering from PTSD. Dr. Ruggiero explains the need to incorporate technology into mental health treatments and how he’s working to get better access to mental health care for patients.

00:00 The Start

01:42 Dr. Ruggiero joins the show

04:42 Why technology is needed in addressing mental health   

06:20 The stigma of anxiety medication vs technology intervention

07:32 Explaining the BounceBackNow app

11:48 Identifying symptoms of PTSD

13:02 Mental health apps for children

22:50 Finding the balance of children being on their phones too much

Read more about Ken Ruggiero's mental health work here: https://muschealth.org/health-professionals/progressnotes/2022/fall/mental-health-following-severe-injury

Learn more about innovation at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) by visiting: https://web.musc.edu/innovation