Medscape (8/13, Brauser) reports that the “Behavioral Health Kiosk is the United States’ first mental health screen of its kind,” allowing “members of the public to use a mounted tablet to access information about mental health in general and help determine whether they may have symptoms of a mental health disorder that warrants referral to a clinician.” The do-it-yourself screening is available in a retail setting. Philip R. Muskin, MD, chair of the 2014 and 2015 Scientific Program Committee for the American Psychiatric Association, believes there are benefits and drawbacks to this approach.
Dr. Muskin said that while “anything that destigmatizes mental disorders is good,” he is still worried that “there has not yet been any research about the program or anything piloted to determine possible benefits and problems. ‘And that always concerns me because we don’t know if it’ll have the desired effect,’” he added.
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