Efficacy of online psychology in anxiety and depression

On many occasions, finding a space within the busy weekly schedule to go to therapy can be very complicated. On the other hand, even if we do manage to spare time, meeting in person can sometimes 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. From online psychology you 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.

• Related article: "Types of psychological therapies"

The effectiveness of online psychology

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

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

Pioneer countries and development in Spain

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

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

• You may be interested in: "The 9 benefits of online psychological therapy"

Studies and institutions

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

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

Gratzer, psychiatrist, head of the Mental Health service at Scarborough Hospital (Toronto), and her team reviewed studies on the efficacy of online psychotherapy conducted between 2000 and 2012. According to these studies, patients who used online psychotherapy had better results than those who used face-to-face psychology.
In the journal JAMA Psychiatry (until 2013 Archives of General Psychiatry ), a study was published that evaluated how online psychology affects the well-being of trainee doctors. Resident physicians have a heavy workload, including nights and weekends, and the accumulated stress can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. Medical residents who received half-hour online psychology sessions had fewer depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts.

Psychologists Cohen and Kerr from the University of Arizona published in 1999 a study on the effectiveness of online psychology for the treatment of anxiety disorder in students and came to the conclusion that there is no difference in the level of efficacy between online or face-to-face psychology verified with the psychometric instrument the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Institutions of recognized prestige such as the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at Harvard University, the National Institute of Mental Health of the United States and the British Journal of Psychiatry, consider that online psychotherapy is as effective as psychological care face-to-face

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