Online therapy sites likeTalkspace,BetterHelp, andAmwellhave helped make online therapy more visible and approachable.

You might be left wondering, however, just how effective such services are for various mental disorders.

Is online therapy the same as traditional therapy and what kind of conditions can be treated online?

Find out which option is the best for you.

Some of the conditions that can be effectively treated with online therapy include the following.

This number represents 8.3% of all adults in the U.S. Research has shown that online therapy can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy in the treatment of depression.

Interestingly, only participants in the online group continued to show reductions in symptoms three months after treatment.

A study published inBMC Psychiatrycompared internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) to group-administeredCBTfor the treatment of panic disorder.

Online therapy might be an effective way to treat people at a lower cost than traditional face-to-face therapy.

But not even half (only around 43%) receive treatment.

Studies have shown that ICBT is as effective as face-to-face therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.

Stress and Anxiety

Online therapy can also be a useful tool for helping people cope withstressandanxiety.

Those who took part in the program showed improvements in their symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Overall psychological distress decreased and many also showed improvements inself-efficacy.

Research suggests that online-based interventions have the potential to improve psychological health and overall well-being.

Research suggests that PCT can be effective for some mental health conditions including depression and anxiety.

However, online andtext therapymay sometimes be a useful supplement to traditional therapy.

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