The Advantages of Online Therapy
The current global pandemic has forced many of the world’s population to the confinement of their homes without any certainty of the future. What then are mental health professionals to do when face-to-face therapy no longer is a viable possibility for many?
With approximately three-quarters of US adults in possession of a desktop or laptop, and 81% of the entire American population with a smartphone, online therapy may prove to be the most intelligible and practical solution in these current times. Indeed, the internet-based intervention proffers a myriad advantages for mental health professionals and patients alike.
Online therapy efficacy supported by increasing scientific evidence
A primary concern among professionals may be the efficacy of online therapy for patients. However, as mounting scientific evidence will demonstrate, online therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions. In a paper published by Kessler and al. in The Lancet, investigators reported that therapist-delivered internet psychotherapy for depression in primary care appeared as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy. Those patients who underwent such online sessions maintained benefits for 8 months.
Conversely, in a separate investigation that explored internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive behavioral interventions, Wagner and al. reported that both lines of therapy were equally effective in treating patients suffering from depression.
As online therapy continues to become more commonplace, mental health professionals can gain confidence that patients will receive the care and support they deserve.
Source Psious news 1 Oct 2020
