Mental health practitioners' use and attitudes regarding the Internet and social media.
OBJECTIVE
Internet-based technologies, such as email and social media, are being increasingly used by mental health providers. The authors created a survey to better understand mental health providers' practices and attitudes regarding these platforms.


METHODS
Psychiatrists and psychologists at Columbia and the New York State Psychiatric Institute completed a 24-item multiple choice and free-text survey about their use of and attitudes toward Internet technologies.


RESULTS
One hundred and thirty faculty responded to the survey: 70% percent of respondents reported that they were somewhat or more familiar with social media; 20% reported that they sometimes or often searched for information about their patients online; and 60% said that searching for patients online could have a positive role in ongoing psychiatric care. Respondents with fewer years of practice were significantly more likely to use Facebook/Google Plus, texting, and instant messenger in their personal lives, while those with more years of practice were more likely to use Skype professionally. Practitioners who worked in hospital settings were more likely to search online for information about their patients. Practitioners working in outpatient clinics, private practices, and research settings were more likely to use websites, email, and Skype in their practices.


CONCLUSIONS
Mental health care professionals are starting to incorporate Internet technologies into their professional lives, but they remain divided on the ethics and utility of using these technologies in clinical care. There appear to be differences in practices and attitudes toward the Internet among clinicians with different levels of experience and in different practice settings.
DEEN: University of California, San Francisco; WITHERS and HELLERSTEIN: Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute.
Serina R
SR
Deen
Amy
A
Withers
David J
DJ
Hellerstein
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D057218:Blogging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000941:ethics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060756:Social Networking; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000941:ethics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000078329:Workforce