Berlin – Around one in six adults in Germany will suffer from depression over the course of their life. At the same time, the waiting time for a therapy place can be long. Can online therapies help here? Are they useful for all forms of depression? And how does psychological treatment over the Internet work? The Health Knowledge Foundation provides information about this on the occasion of International Mental Health Day on October 10, 2023 and has examined the effectiveness of online therapies in a study review.
A feeling of persistent sadness, a lack of interest in hobbies and friends or a lack of motivation for daily tasks – depression can have very different symptoms and forms and affects people of all ages. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in Germany. Depending on the severity of the illness, medication or different forms of psychotherapy may be considered. But the waiting time for a therapy place can sometimes be very long in this country. According to the German Psychotherapist Network, it is currently around five months in Germany – an additional challenge for those affected and their relatives. As an alternative or to bridge these waiting times, online therapy can also be an option for people with depression.
How does online therapy work?
Online therapies are treatment programs that people with depression can use independently via a computer, tablet or smartphone. They use psychotherapy methods. As a rule, you register for online therapy on a website or in an app. During online therapy, the content is usually divided into specific modules, where specific tasks are worked through one after the other. Depending on the treatment approach, the offers can differ in content and structure. Many people focus on cognitive behavioral therapy, which aims to practice new behavior and thought patterns. A distinction is also made between accompanied and unaccompanied programs. While sick people go through the unaccompanied programs independently according to their own content and time preferences, users of the accompanied program receive regular feedback on their progress – e.g. B. by email or in person by a therapist.
Who is online therapy suitable for?
Online therapies are primarily intended for mild depression and are also suitable as a bridge until a place for therapy can be found. For moderate or severe forms of depression, online therapy can be used in addition to medication or psychotherapy. Online therapies are not intended to replace psychotherapy or drug treatment. In addition, the use of online therapy should be prescribed and accompanied by a doctor or psychotherapist, as its use can be very emotionally upsetting.
Overview of the different treatment options for depression:
Important pillars in the treatment of depression are the use of antidepressants (medication treatment) and psychotherapeutic procedures such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Under certain circumstances, both forms of therapy are combined. You can find the current state of scientific knowledge on the treatment of depressive illnesses here: More information on the different treatment options for depression
Study Results: How Effective Are Online Therapies in Treating Depression?
In order to answer the question about the effectiveness of online therapies for people with depression, the Health Knowledge Foundation evaluated the current study situation. The result: Those who took part in online therapy had fewer depressive symptoms after completing the therapy than people who did not use online therapy. There is also evidence that accompanied online programs have a more positive effect on symptoms than programs without supervision. A systematic review on this question was used for the evaluation, which summarizes the results of 40 randomized controlled studies with a total of more than 7,000 people with predominantly mild to moderate depression.
The individual studies examined various accompanied and unaccompanied programs that were similar in content and structure and were based on the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy. The participants in the various studies were divided into two different groups: a group with and a group without access to online therapies. The duration of treatment via online therapy varied depending on the program and was between four and 32 weeks. Before and after the online therapy, the severity of the symptoms was determined using questionnaires and it was examined whether these had changed as a result of the program. Due to methodological deficiencies and fluctuating results between the online programs examined, the statements cannot be transferred to all available online therapies. In addition, there were no statements in the review about any side effects of online therapies. However, that does not mean that these are excluded from the use of online therapies.
You can read the full study review “Do online therapies help in the treatment of depression?” here:
Who bears the costs of online therapy?
Doctors and psychotherapists have the option of prescribing certain programs and apps. In this case, statutory health insurance companies will cover the costs for this type of treatment. Private health insurance companies also partially cover the costs of online therapies. The personal contractual conditions are crucial.
You can find more information about “apps on prescription” here
About the Health Knowledge Foundation:
The non-profit, operational Health Knowledge Foundation based in Berlin wants to strengthen the competence of people in Germany with regard to health and prevention and reduce the information asymmetries between doctors and patients. To this end, it creates, among other things, health information that is understandable to laypeople based on current scientific findings, shows prevention options and treatment alternatives and promotes health knowledge in general. The founder is the Association of Private Health Insurance.