Online Therapy

Does psychotherapy via the Internet work?

Published: July 31, 2013

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For the first time, clinical researchers from the University of Zurich have studied whether online psychotherapy and conventional face-to-face therapy are equally effective in experiments. Based on earlier studies, the Zurich team assumed that the two forms of therapy were on a par. Not only was their theory confirmed, the results for online therapy even exceeded their expectations.

Six therapists treated 62 patients, the majority of whom were suffering from moderate depression. The patients were divided into two equal groups at random and assigned to one of the therapeutic forms. The treatment consisted of eight sessions with different established techniques that stem from cognitive behavior therapy and could be carried out both orally and in writing. Patients treated online had to perform one predetermined written task per therapy unit – such as querying their own negative self-image. They were known to the therapist by name.

Online therapy even more effective in the medium term

“In both groups, the depression values fell significantly,” says Professor Andreas Maercker, summing up the results of the study. At the end of the treatment, no more depression could be diagnosed in 53 percent of the patients who underwent online therapy – compared to 50 percent for face-to-face therapy. Three months after completing the treatment, the depression in patients treated online even decreased whereas those treated conventionally only displayed a minimal decline: no more depression could be detected in 57 percent of patients from online therapy compared to 42 percent with conventional therapy.

For both patient groups, the degree of satisfaction with the treatment and therapists was more or less equally high. 96 percent of the patients given online therapy and 91 percent of the recipients of conventional treatment rated the contact with their therapist as “personal”. In the case of online therapy, the patients tended to use the therapy contacts and subsequent homework very intensively to progress personally. For instance, they indicated that they had re-read the correspondence with their therapist from time to time. “In the medium term, online psychotherapy even yields better results. Our study is evidence that psychotherapeutic services on the internet are an effective supplement to therapeutic care,” concludes Maercker.

ᔥBirgit Wagner, Andrea B. Horn, Andreas Maercker. Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Affective Disorders. July 23, 2013. Doi:10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032

Therapy via Internet yields good results

Published: September 28, 2011

Woman looking at laptop Treatment via the Internet enables many more patients to get help with their depression. This has been established by the psychologist Fredrik Holländare, who has studied the effects of Internet-based CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) both on ongoing depression and for preventing relapses. The findings are presented in a doctoral dissertation at the School of Health and Medical Science at Örebro University.
“The purpose of Internet-based treatment is not to replace traditional therapy, face to face, for those who need it. But for many people it is an equally good, even better, alternative, since they can choose their own time and place,” he says.

“There is no single depression treatment that fits everybody. But the more treatments we have, the better the chance of finding the right treatment for the next person seeking help.”

The primary advantage is that more people can get access to treatment that thus far has involved a long waiting list. And for patients who risk relapsing this is an especially welcome improvement, as the shortage of trained CBT therapists limits the possibility of continued treatment. [continue reading…]

Social Media raises challenges for therapists and their clients

Published: March 30, 2010

Dana Scarton, The Washington Post has written interesting article Google and Facebook raise new issues for therapists and their clients

“We are just beginning to understand what ethical issues the Internet is raising,” says Stephen Behnke, ethics director for the American Psychological Association. “To write rules that allow our field to grow and develop and yet prevent [patient] harm at the same time: That’s the challenge.”In fact, the tremendous availability online of personal information threatens to alter what has been an almost sacred relationship between therapist and patient. Link to read full article

Source: Washington Post