The Need to Adapt the Psychiatric Clinical Assessment to the Digital Age: A Practical Approach

The use of electronic devices and social media is becoming a ubiquitous part of most people’s lives. Although researchers are exploring the sequelae of such use, little attention has been given to the importance of digital media use in routine psychiatric assessments of patients. The nature of technology use is relevant to understanding a patient’s lifestyle and activities, the same way that it is important to evaluate the patient’s occupation, functioning, and general activities. The authors propose a framework for psychiatric inquiry into digital media use, emphasizing that such inquiry should focus on quality of use, including emotional and behavioral consequences, rather than simply the amount of use.