INTERSTRESS

INTERSTRESS showcased at the

16^th Annual CyberPsychology and CyberTherapy Conference

Members of the INTERSTRESS (Interreality in the Management and Treatment of Stress-related Disorders) project, funded under the European Commission’s FP7 Program, presented their work to an international audience at the recent 16th Annual CyberPsychology & CyberTherapy Conference: Evidence-Based Clinical Application of Information Technology (CYBER¹⁶), held June 19-22, 2011 in Gatineau, Canada.

CYBER¹⁶, the official conference of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training, & Rehabilitation (iACToR), attracted 200 participants from industry, academia and government from 25 countries:   Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the U.S.   As in previous years, CYBER¹⁶ continued its two-fold focus, exploring:

1. Technologies as enabling tools

2. The impact of new technologies on individual behavior and societal relations

The conference featured presentations on research utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as avatars, videogame virtual reality, non-invasive physiological monitoring, wireless technologies, and robotics for training, education, and therapeutic purposes.  However, there was also an exciting influx of researchers investigating the uses and effects of social networking tools.  This is a focus we look to embrace more in coming years.

CYBER¹⁷ will be held September 12-15, 2012 in Brussels, Belgium.   The conference will continue to explore the uses of advanced technologies such as Virtual Reality, videogames, telehealth, the internet, robotics, brain computer interfaces, wearable computing, mobile computing, social networking, and non-invasive physiological monitoring devices, in the diagnosis, assessment, and prevention of mental and physical disorders as well as assessment of interactive media in training, education, rehabilitation, and therapeutic interventions.  However, CYBER¹⁷ will also strengthen its focus on the effects of interactive media and social networking tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, on individual behavior and interpersonal relationships.

Members of the INTERSTRESS team:  B.K. Wiederhold, D. Pizzioli, A. Gaggioli, G. Riva at the CYBER¹⁶ conference.

For additional information, please visit http://www.interactivemediainstitute.com and http://www.INTERSTRESS.eu.

Two projects funded by ICT for Health, European Commission, teamed up recently to present a symposium, entitled Virtual Reality and Advanced ICT in Europe, at the recent Medicine Meets Virtual Reality (MMVR) conference held in Newport Beach, California 8-12 February 2011. Members of INTERSTRESS (Interreality in the Management and Treatment of Stress-Related Disorders) and OPTIMI (Online Predictive Tools for Intervention in Mental Illness) presented their projects to conference attendees.   The symposium, chaired by Prof. Giuseppe Riva, was intended to enlighten attendees on the advances being made in Europe with new tools and technologies. Other members of the symposium were Prof. Rosa Banos, Prof. Cristina Botella, Prof. Andrea Gaggioli, and Prof. Brenda K. Wiederhold.