Effectiveness of online psychology for anxiety and depression.

A review of the level of effectiveness of online therapy for these common psychological problems.

In many cases, finding a time within the busy weekly schedule to go to therapy can be very complicated. On the other hand, even if we manage to find the time, sometimes meeting in person can be difficult for many people who have anxiety or depression. Online psychology can be the most effective solution to these problems.

Patients can receive therapy through online psychology whenever and wherever they want.. Online psychology can provide trust, confidentiality and comfort. These elements are essential to be able to help people who need psychological intervention, but are reluctant to go to the psychologist's face-to-face consultation.

The effectiveness of online psychology

Online psychology, since the last decades, is a way to bring psychotherapy to people who are overwhelmed by anxiety and depression. are overwhelmed by problems of anxiety and depression..

As well as face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and third generation behavioral therapies (ACT, Behavioral Activation, Mindfulness, ...) are also effective in the online modality for people with depression and anxiety.

Pioneer countries and development in Spain

The pioneer countries in online psychology are the USA, Canada and Australia. In Canada more than half of the psychologists use online psychology in their work (Simms, Gibson and O'Donnell, 2011).

In Spain it is considered that the beginning of online psychology appeared in the year 2000, with 1% of the total number of psychotherapeutic treatments. The year 2010 was a turning point in the development of online psychology in Spain. being present in 12% of psychological treatments. In 2013 is considered the takeoff of online psychological therapy with 26% of the total number of psychotherapeutic interventions (González-Peña, P., Torres, R., Del Barrio, V., & Olmedo, M., 2017).

Studies and institutions

The psychologist Andreas Maercker of the University of Zurich conducted a study with people suffering from depression in 2013 in which he concludes that online psychology proves to be equally effective as face-to-face psychology.

We found in another study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association that concluded that online psychotherapy had equivalent results to those achieved in face-to-face psychology. On the other hand, the aforementioned study found similar levels of satisfaction in patients who were treated both online and face-to-face.

Gratzer psychiatrist chief of the Mental Health Service at Scarborough Hospital (Toronto) and his team reviewed studies on the effectiveness of online psychotherapy conducted between 2000 and 2012. According to these studies patients who used online psychotherapy had better outcomes than those who used face-to-face psychology.. In the journal JAMA Psychiatry (through 2013 Archives of General Psychiatry ), a study was published that evaluated how online psychology affects the well-being of physicians in training. Resident physicians have a heavy workload, including nights and weekends, and the cumulative stress can lead to depression and thoughts of suicide. Resident physicians who received half-hour online psychology sessions had fewer depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts.

Psychologists Cohen and Kerr of the University of Arizona published in 1999 a study on the efficacy of online psychology for the treatment of anxiety disorder in students and concluded that there is no difference in the level of efficacy between online and face-to-face psychology The results were confirmed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory psychometric instrument..

Renowned institutions such as the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at Harvard University, the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States and the British Journal of Psychiatry, consider online psychotherapy to be as effective as face-to-face psychological care.

However, online psychology is not recommended for people with severe mental disorders..