Emerging Technologies and Innovative Interventions in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Child and adolescent mental health has become a major global concern as young people face increasing psychological, developmental, and socio-environmental pressures. Rising rates of mood and anxiety disorders, attention and behavioral difficulties, sleep disturbances, and the emotional and cognitive impacts of digital media use highlight the need for stronger prevention and early identification strategies. At the same time, non-pharmacological approaches—such as structured physical activity, exercise-based programs, and lifestyle interventions—have gained increasing attention for their potential to support emotional regulation and cognitive development. Parallel advancements in large language models (LLMs), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), digital phenotyping, wearables, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) are beginning to reshape youth mental health care. Together, these developments point to an important shift toward more comprehensive and technology-informed models of child and adolescent psychiatry.This Research Topic aims to address the need for evidence-based, innovative, and ethically grounded approaches to youth mental health in an era of rapid technological and social change. Although emerging tools such as AI-enabled decision systems, VR/AR interventions, digital phenotyping, and wearable monitoring devices offer unprecedented opportunities for personalized and scalable care, their application in children and adolescents raises important clinical, cultural, and regulatory questions. Similarly, while exercise, mindfulness, and other non-pharmacological interventions show promise in promoting mental well-being, there is limited understanding of how these strategies can be effectively integrated into technologically supported care models.This Research Topic seeks to bring together diverse perspectives to clarify how technological innovations and lifestyle-based approaches can complement traditional psychiatric practice. By advancing theoretical insights, empirical evidence, and implementation strategies, the goal is to inform safer, more equitable, and developmentally appropriate mental health solutions for young people across global contexts.We welcome contributions that advance scientific, clinical, and practical understanding of technology-enhanced and non-pharmacological approaches in child and adolescent psychiatry. Manuscripts may focus on themes such as AI and large language models in youth mental health; digital phenotyping and technology-assisted assessment; VR/AR and immersive therapeutic interventions; developmental psychopathology in digital settings; implementation and safety of digital mental health services; ethics, regulation, and equity; school- and community-based digital programs; global and cross-cultural perspectives; exercise and physical activity interventions; and the integration of lifestyle-based approaches within digital care pathways.We encourage submissions from a wide range of methodologies, including original research, reviews, theoretical papers, intervention studies, case reports, protocols, and policy analyses. Topic editors: Jindong Chang, Garry Kuan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76309/emerging-technologies-and-innovative-interventions-in-child-and-adolescent-psychiatry