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Online therapeutic methods: A systematic review

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Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate which available online therapeutic methods, could be utilized as an alternative to conventional face-to-face therapy for individuals suffering from various mental health disorders. Database searches were conducted using topic-related search terms and predetermined inclusion criteria. The final collection of articles used for this systematic review was comprised of 8 articles. Randomized control trials were used for 7 of the studies, while the only exception was a randomized parallel group trial. This systematic review evaluated the influence of the interventions on the respective study participants. Each study reported notable results, which indicated that dispensing online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was a viable means of reducing the symptoms of certain mental health disorders. The involvement of a therapist also demonstrated better results than self-help programs, even if only slightly, and usually the positive effects of treatment lasted longer when a therapist-client relationship was present. This was evidenced in post-treatment follow-ups. Online therapy displayed promise in the treatment of certain mental health disorders. A therapeutic alliance was shown to be an important aspect in determining treatment outcomes and more research is required into the application of online therapeutic methods in developing contexts.

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Notes

  1. The current study is a systematic review of published articles with no contact with human subjects for the purposes of this review. As such, the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and later amendments were followed inasmuch as the studies that were reviewed followed those guidelines.

  2. The intention-to-treat analysis protocol used in Richards et al. (2013) was conducted to include all data from participants whether or not they complied with the treatment plan or not.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornerstone Institute, Cape Town, South Africa

    Wesley Chipps, Angeleigh Petzold & Chante Adams

  2. The University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

    Kyle Jackson

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  1. Wesley Chipps
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  2. Angeleigh Petzold
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  3. Chante Adams
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  4. Kyle Jackson
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Correspondence to Wesley Chipps.

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Chipps, W., Petzold, A., Adams, C. et al. Online therapeutic methods: A systematic review. Curr Psychol 41, 2835–2847 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00791-4

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