Digital Technologies in the Assessment and Treatment of Impulsivity and Problematic Alcohol and Drug Use

Abstract

Digital health technologies (DHTs) are coming of age in improving the assessment, treatment, and continuing care of individuals struggling with problem substance use and impulsive behavior. While many of these methods are still being tested and continue to evolve, DHTs constitute a powerful new way of enhancing traditional treatment models and offer the opportunity to meet individuals in their natural environments to combat reductions in self-regulation with just-in-time tailored interventions. This chapter provides readers with a general overview of DHTs in the context of the treatment of substance use disorders, detailing a brief history of computer-based interventions for substance use, the core mechanisms of mobile and wireless technologies, a review of how specific technology components (e.g., video chat, text messaging) can be used to assess and treat substance use disorders and self-regulation failures, and potential concerns surrounding the integration of DHTs into addiction care.

The Digital Marshmallow Test (DMT) Diagnostic and Monitoring Mobile Health App for Impulsive Behavior: Development and Validation Study

“…Using DMT to combine both assessment and intervention within one component opens up room for digital microinterventions that focus on very small and beneficial steps that people can take in their daily life [ 99 ], which may be far more acceptable than traditional long-term interventions. We plan to introduce and study different personalized and adaptive digital interventions [ 91 , 92 , 99 , 100 ] to reduce impulsive response in future studies of the DMT app.…”