A collaborative approach focused on the users´ needs and preferences.
Published in Chapter:
Use of Socially Assistive Robots in Mental Health: Barriers and Facilitators
Ana Raquel da Rocha Ferreira (School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal),
Maria Goreti Moreira Magalhães De Sousa Silva (School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal),
Maria de Oliveira Correia (School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal), Raquel Simões de Almeida (LabRP, Center for Rehabilitation Research, School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal), Vitor Simões-Silva (LabRP, Center for Rehabilitation Research, School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal), and Maria João Trigueiro (LabRP, Center for Rehabilitation Research, School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, Portugal)
Copyright: © 2024
|Pages: 24
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-9251-2.ch013
Abstract
Access to mental healthcare is faced with many challenges and to address the needs of patients, socially assistive robots (SAR) have been used as an innovative therapeutic tool. The literature highlights a variety of relevant functions and benefits that these robots can serve, be it companion, coach, or play partner. This chapter aims to contribute to the current knowledge about SAR in mental health as a tool that could complement the support provided by professionals, identifying its barriers and facilitators. Despite the presence of certain barriers to their implementation (e.g., technical problems, professionals' resistance), social robot interventions generally show positive effects on patients with mental health conditions.