Smaller proportions of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder patients use technology such as smartphones, computers, and social media than the U.S. adult population at large, and those who do feel more connected to the world and do not think the technology worsens their symptoms, Dr. Brian J. Miller and his associates report.
©Hocus Focus Studio/iStockphoto.com
The investigators administered an anonymous survey to examine the prevalence of those technologies among 80 inpatients and outpatients with the disorders. They found that 73% of the patients reported owning or having access to a smartphone, and 57% used their phones for texting. That compares with the 90% of people in the general U.S. adult population who own a smartphone and 81% who use text messaging.
Meanwhile, 54% of the patients reported owning or having access to a computer, and 48% reported having access to the Internet. Just under half of the patients reported using social media, and 27% said they used social media daily. Facebook was the most popular platform.
The findings are preliminary and the sample size was small but “suggest that these technologies afford a unique opportunity to engage and improve treatment for some patients with schizophrenia,” the investigators concluded.
Find the full study in Psychiatry Research [doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.11.067].