Covid Awareness

COVID-19 and mental health : Discovering online consultation

COVID-19 and mental health: Discovering Online consultation

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with multiple words: lockdown, quarantine, health risk etc. But one of the most undermined concepts linked to this pandemic is the mental health crisis we are undergoing right now. A recent survey by the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) suggests that mental health cases have increased by 20% since May 2020. People are increasingly being subjected to issues of high stress, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other adverse mental health effects. Now, finally, some people have started taking the required steps for their healthy functioning and seek help in the form of expert advice and counselling.

But in this context, of an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and Unlock Phase 2, going outside for advice and meeting even Mental health professionals seems like an unnecessary risk to life. So what could be the possible solution to this problem? The answer is very simple. People seeking professional help can always opt for Online therapy.

Online therapy, also known as e-counselling, teletherapy, or cyber-counselling, involves providing mental health services and support over the internet. Online expert advice is often provided in multiple forms like email, text messaging, video conferencing, phone conversations and text messages. Providing help to people who need it across a distance is not a new thing, in fact, it even predates the Internet! Sigmund Freud provided therapy to his clients via letters of correspondence in the 1880s. Despite that, most people express concerns over this medium, largely towards its effectiveness compared to traditional means.

There are multiple reasons why anyone would think that seeking online help will not be effective for them, the first being that it does not match the traditional image of counselling. Also, some might believe that this medium will not give enough attention to their non-verbal cues (Like posture, voice, expressions etc.) which contribute heavily to the process of therapy. But therapy through a computer is nearly effective as talking face to face to your Doctor. An article in The Journal of Counselling proved this when they experimented to compare the effectiveness of giving advice face to face and online. Despite being as effective as going to the Doctor’s, seeking help online is better in some respects. Experts say that when people talk to counsellor’s online, they can share more with them and express their feelings and emotions better, this is known as the Disinhibition Effect. It also provides them with a feeling of anonymity which automatically brings with it a sense of non-judgement. This makes sense because historically humans have fallen in love over the internet, so what is stopping them from forming strong bonds with their counsellors? Furthermore, seeking help online is considerably easier as you do not have to leave your house, it is more affordable and it has a better reach since anyone with a stable internet connection can use these services.

Like any other professional help sector, seeking help online also has its shares of limitations. Historically, clients have often suffered because they have not been able to show their non-verbal behaviour to the Doctor, but now with Video Conferencing, these issues have been reduced drastically. Additionally, in this approach, the client has the power to choose which facts to share with the counsellor, in which case they might not be able to help them fully. So any client choosing this approach must be 100% transparent with the Experts.

There are only certain types of cases for which Online therapy is ideal. Fortunately, these cover the most common mental health issues we see in the Pandemic. These include persons suffering from agoraphobia, anxiety disorders, depression, alcoholics, those with body image or shame and guilt issues, and people seeking personal growth and fulfilment. Online consultation might just be one of the most helpful resources that come out of a digital revolution. With the pandemic testing our limits and bringing with it one of the most troublesome experiences for human beings worldwide, trying new things like online therapy might prove to be an undiscovered treasure.