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Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva - Open Access

Studies and researches

No. 47 (2020)

On-line Therapies: Opportunities or Replenishment?

Submitted
febbraio 5, 2021
Published
2021-02-05

Abstract

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic crisis (Covid-19) has affected our lives. In 2020 the population has faced sudden cognitive-emotional and relational changes; this condition has implemented the use of on-line communications. In the USA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that the pandemic has increased stress levels in individuals.
Other studies have confirmed that anxiety depressive symptoms are common psychological reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic. How is the world of psychotherapy reacting to the impact of the pandemic? The use of technology has long been present in the clinical setting even though many professionals are uncertain and unprepared. Until recently, on-line therapy has been considered sacrilegious by many. For cognitive-behavioral therapists (CBT), the transition to on-line therapy has been easier because practitioners have been more flexible in adapting their techniques to the web.
But how effective are on-line treatments? What are the key aspects? In this article, we want to describe the empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of on-line CBT, including aspects for and against, in different contexts and populations, without neglecting the limits and possible critical issues, in order to reflect on the two treatments and compare them. The overall results show few differences between the two methods. There are many studies on cognitive-behavioural therapy via the Internet (iCBT), but the results are still not very comprehensive, particularly about the outcomes of psychiatric and somatic conditions, therefore, further research is needed to establish the equivalence of the two treatment formats.

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