Mental Health & Technology
Mental Health & Technology
Mental health problems are among the most frequent, pervasive, incapacitating and costly problems in our current society. To date, technological solutions to ameliorate this situation have remained underexplored. Yet technology could play important roles in this sense, for instance in improving insights in etiology, diagnostics or treatment via tracking, quantified self, and data science approaches, virtual treatment facilities and clinics, online provision of counseling and training, better working and living conditions.
Mental health is a vibrant and incredibly challenging field of application for the Center for Humans & Technology. Researchers in our center are collaborating with numerous parties in the domain to explore and develop technological applications and services to improve mental health for people from clinical populations as well as the general public.
Important initiatives under this theme are coordinated in the Academic Collaborative Center (Academische werkplaats) Technological and Social Innovation for Mental Health and the Dementia & Technology center of expertise (Brankaert, IJsselsteijn).
Below is an overview of recent and ongoing research projects in this domain.
Related researchers and research groups
The research theme Mental health & Technology is coordinated by Prof.dr.ir. Yvonne de Kort.
Research efforts are taking place in numerous research groups.


Inter-Academic Collaborative Center
Social and technological innovation hold great promise for patient (self) support in mental health. GGzE, the Center for Humans and Technology and Tranzo have therefore joined forced and created an inter-academic infrastructure to collaborate strategically in research and expertise.
Under the heading of ‘Technological and Social Innovation for Mental Health’ , it focuses on three core themes:
- Transition in the mental health care sector (changing organizational processes and structures to facilitate innovative care practices)
- Healing & healthy environments (empathic, adaptive, restorative environments, healthful conditions)
- Personalized mental health care (e-health, online therapy, VR and physiological augmentation)
Expertise Center Dementia and Technology
We develop Warm Technology: user-friendly, non-stigmatizing technology aimed at what people with dementia can still do.

Ongoing research projects
An overview of ongoing research projects in Mental Health and Technology
DE-ESCALATE
De-escalate develops and tests mechanisms for de-escalation of aggression through dynamic light.
SSZT
Samen Slim Zorgen Thuis (Smart Home Care Together)
Kempenlef
Independent living for seniors
Pleyade
Innovation for persons with dementia
VILANS
Actively involving people with dementia in technology design
INHERIT
INter-sectoral Health and Environment Research for InnovaTion
Professional Skills for e-Mental Health
Serious games supporting mental health professionals in skill development and empathic interactions in online counselling
GOAL
Gamification for Overweight Prevention and Active Lifestyle
Room for Sustainable Happiness
Stimulating care environment for seniors living in a nursing home to improve Quality of Life
EESTORD
Exploring the Experience of Social Touch in old age and in dementia, Opportunities for Research and Design
Smart Living Relieves Burdens
Smart Living Relieves Burdens
LtFA
Light to fight addiction
Guiding Environment
An environment to stimulate and support older adults with early stage dementia in their home environment.
HealthBed
Unobtrusive monitoring of health-related parameters in the bed environment.
ESoD
Everyday Sounds of Dementia
SBID
Smart Building Interventions to stimulate healthy behaviour for older adults with Dementia.