The Efficacy of Online Therapy Groups – Part 2

Looking into these studies have allowed mental health professionals to see the patient’s perspective of online therapy. Patients themselves have proven that online therapy is effective and beneficial for them and their well-being.

Group therapy has been used to treat mental health issues since the early 1900s and has since been used to treat a range of conditions including anxiety and depression, grief, low self-esteem, and emotional trauma. The process of group therapy consists of eleven therapeutic factors, identified by famous physiatrist and group therapy advocate, Irvin Yalom. These factors are the following: installation of hope, universality, imparting information, altruism, corrective recapitulation, socializing, imitative behaviour, interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness, catharsis, and existential factors. Group therapy has numerous additional benefits as well, including creating a community of support, allowing a wider range of perspectives to be present, inspiring others to face fears, and promoting socialization.

During a study done in 2017 about the efficacy of group psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder, it found “significant effects of group psychotherapy in reducing symptoms of PTSD compared to no-treatment control groups.” Essentially, group therapy helps. Another study published in 2018 that focused on the efficacy of group psychotherapy for geriatric depression found similar positive outcomes and that “improvements were found across a variety of settings, protocols, participant characteristics, and for several psychological domains.” There are multiple other studies published much like these that additionally support the efficacy of group therapy.

One of the only widely available studies on online therapy group efficacy was completed and published by the Journal of Medical Internet Research in 2012. The research studied the effectiveness of an online group course for depression in adolescents and young adults. To do so, researchers evaluated young people who were taking the online group course ‘Grip op Je Dip’ (Master Your Mood). The study found the online group course was effective in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms for the participants, thus supporting inferences on the advantages of online group therapy.

Online therapy groups combine the benefits of online therapy and group therapy, making it an increasingly attractive option for treating a multitude of mental health issues and concerns, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a growing number of online therapy groups with hundreds of online therapy sessions occurring every week; you’ll be able to find the best online therapy for you.