Depressed people to get online counselling?
A recent report featured in The Telegraph looks into new research suggessting that online counselling should be offered to those who are depressed in a bid to avoid long waiting times to see a doctor. With one in six adults suffering from depression or chronic anxiety, online counselling may offer an alternative to a growing problem.
Patients given cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are two-and-a-half times more likely to recover from their mental health problems than those who received standard care from a GP, recent findings suggest.
Dr David Kessler, a senior primary care researcher at the University of Bristol and a part time GP, said: “The patients get up to ten one hour appointments which are carried out online by instant messenger.
“Maybe it is the writing things down that helps so much because you have to think more when you do this. It is like being in a chat room with your therapist.
This is an excellent idea for those who are disabled, housebound or living in remote locations because it improves the accessabiltity of counselling. Another positive aspect is that you don’t have to be a computer whizz to use the system. Some of the patients were well into their seventies and not from the internet generation and even they found the system user friendly.
“It could make access to psychotherapies more equitable by providing a service to patients in areas or even countries where psychological treatment is not readily available.”