Group 5 Written Report
Group 5 Written Report
Members:
a. Discuss Tele-counseling; social media; today’s relevance despite that pandemic is already over.
b. Discuss the research implications to the practice in using the Tele-counseling.
c. Discuss how social media aggravates and how it can be used to address mental health issues.
A. Discuss Tele-counseling; Social Media; today’s relevance despite that pandemic is already over.
TELE-COUNSELING
Refers to receiving therapy from a mental health professional virtually. It could be on phone, laptop, tablet, or
desktop— the client get to decide where the session takes place.
It is also referred to as telemental health, telepsychology, teletherapy, online therapy, or online counseling.
Tele-counseling can benefit the mind and body because mental state affects the entire being of an individual.
The ongoing, increased stress or anxiety will cause the body to seek an outlet, and that often means aches, pains,
and even risky behaviours. And this can take a long-term toll on the physical health.
Total privacy. No one sees enter or exit a Internet connection and speed.
therapist’s office. No awkward time spent Both the client and therapist need to
in a waiting room with other make sure that they have working and
patients/clients. reliable internet access.
PROS CONS
Good Option for Remote Areas Confidentiality, Privacy, and Unreliable
Technology
Accessibility for People with Physical Limitations Some States Don't Allow Out-of-State Providers
Convenience and Affordability Insurance Companies May Not Cover It
Treatment Can Be More Approachable Lack of Response to Crisis Situations
Insurance Companies May Not Cover It
Not Appropriate for Serious Psychiatric Illnesses
Overlooks Body Language
Ethical and Legal Concerns
Who SHOULD (and should not) use telecounseling?
According to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
everyone can benefit from telecounseling.
It includes people with conditions traditionally only treated in-person, such as severe mental illnesses (including
major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder) and substance use disorders (including opioid use
disorder). And evidence also shows that patients of all ages can benefit from tele-counseling.
Verywell Mind's Cost of Therapy Survey found that many Americans currently in therapy face issues with accessing
mental health treatment, or additional costs associated with therapy:
31% have to pay for either childcare or adult/elder care in order to attend their sessions
30% say they’ve encountered a lack of appointment availability or flexibility of the mental health professional
27% have had difficulty finding a mental health professional who is taking new patients.
1. Behavioral therapy. The client will learn how to modify unwanted behaviors or replace them with healthy ones.
2. Cognitive therapy. The client will identify the thoughts that are leading to negative emotions and actions, then
learn how to change the way you think (and in turn, the way you behave).
3. Psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapy. The client will dig deep to uncover problems that are held within your
unconscious mind and deal with those issues head-on. This is an in-depth process that may take several months
or even several years.
4. Humanistic therapy. The client learn to become more self-aware and accepting theirselves through
encouragement from their counselor to discover their own potential.
Tele-counseling became of the most crucial means of providing psychological services during the pandemic.
This medium challenged the traditional face-to-face approach while overcoming the barriers that surrounds its
effectivity. Despite of the pandemic ceasing, the contribution of the new approach still became relevant in
providing services.
ASPECT PROS
Cost efficient (Time and Money) Oftentimes, therapists who offers virtual therapy offers
cheaper monthly rates compared to in-person therapy
(Writers, 2024).
Eliminates travel cost. You can just have therapy within
the comfort of your own home (MSEd, 2023).
You get the option of when you want to schedule your
therapy (Frye, 2023).
Easy Access Offers opportunity for far-fetched areas to avail and access
therapy (MSEd, 2023).
Reduced Stigma Reduces negative feelings that are associated with
attending therapy.
Allows limited interactions with other people
Emergencies and Crisis Intervention Hotlines. Provides immediate support and helps mitigate
risks.
ASPECT CONS
Technology issues Poor connectivity may hinder effectiveness
May have problems in navigating the chosen medium
(Welch, 2024)
Limited intervention capacity Psychopharmacology may seem hard to implement as it
often needs in-person physical examination
Privacy concerns Sensitive medical records may be threatened due to
unforeseen bugs and issues
Because of its wide-spread benefits, online therapy or tele-counseling secures its relevance even in the post-
pandemic setting. It became a medium to challenge the different stigmas surrounding the use of technology and
how effective it can be when it comes to using it in the medical field.
ADVANTAGES
Improved Communication
Information Dissemination
Marketing Opportunities
Educational Resource
Building Communities
DISADVANTAGES
Privacy Concerns
Misinformation
Cyberbullying and Harassment
Time Management and Addiction
Fraud and Scams
While the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, social media continues to play a significant role in shaping our society
even after the pandemic.
Through its multiple platforms informations spread like a wildfire which is beneficial in spreading awareness and
education. This also fosters global connectivity and even offer support groups.
Despite its advantages, it is statistically reported that irresponsible and excessive use may cause more harm than
good to users; misinformation, dependency, and contributing to mental health issues like anxiety and digital
fatigue. (Sarangi et al., 2022).
.
B. Discuss the research implications to the practice in using the Tele-counseling.
a. Research implications
i. Research has shown that tele-counseling significantly enhances accessibility for individuals
facing geographical, financial, or personal barriers to receiving mental health care.
b. In Practice
i. Practitioners are encouraged to implement tele-counseling as a standard service option, taking
advantage of its potential to reach marginalized populations.
ii. Practitioners must strive to provide user-friendly tele-health platforms and offer support in
various languages to better accommodate clients from diverse backgrounds.
2. Effectiveness
A systematic review published in "Psychotherapy Research" analyzed 90 studies involving over 9,000
participants and concluded that tele-counseling is as effective as in-person therapy for treating anxiety
and depression.
a. Research implications
i. Research has consistently shown that tele-counseling outcomes are often on par with in-person
counseling, particularly for anxiety, burnout and depression.
b. In Practice
i. For practitioners, tele-counseling is not much different from an in-person therapy session. The
clients have the opportunity to ask questions and talk about goals and concerns with the
therapist. Clients may also have the opportunity to work on specific exercises.
ii. “What we’ve seen is that tele-health is essentially just as effective as face-to-face
psychotherapy—and retention rates are higher,” says David Mohr, PhD
a. Research implications
i. Research indicates that technological barriers, such as inadequate digital literacy and poor
internet access, can limit the effectiveness of tele-counseling.
b. In Practice
i. Clinicians must undergo comprehensive training to effectively use tele-counseling technologies
and maintain the same standard of care as in-person sessions.
ii. Mental Health First Response (MHFR) Training: They provide both in-person and online self-
paced courses, which include training on telehealth services. The program is open to non-
psychology professionals as well.
a. Research Implication
i. According to the feedback received from therapists and clients, remote services could offer
promising prospects to both groups by providing accessible locations and flexible time
management. However, to get the full benefits of tele-therapy, therapists should consider
certain factors to enhance the therapeutic alliance. Moreover, there are challenges that need to
be addressed.
b. In Practice
i. Therapists who are attentive to the challenges of teletherapies and make an effort to address
them using different techniques during treatment are likely to have better outcomes in their
interactions with clients.
a. Research Implication
i. Further research is needed in developing and strengthening telehealth policies and regulations
to better guide practice. There is also a lack of in-depth studies that address privacy and security
concerns with the use of telehealth services and show a need for continued research.
b. In Practice
i. A multidimensional approach is needed when developing the best practices to incorporate and
resolve the issues and tailor the needs of patients, providers, and operational managers. Building
best practice guidelines and policies to address technology, digital literacy, accessibility, and
minimize privacy and security risks is necessary.
a. Research Implication
i. Findings on the cost-effectiveness of digital interventions showed a growing body of evidence
and suggested a generally favorable effect in terms of costs and health outcomes. However, due
to the heterogeneity across study methods, the comparison between interventions still remains
difficult. Further research based on a standardized approach is needed in order to methodically
analyze incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, costs, and health benefits.
ii. In an article of Tele-health Mental Health Counseling: What It Is and Why It Matters, in 2019,
before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 20% of adults in the U.S. experienced a mental illness,
yet over half of them didn’t get treatment, according to Mental Health America. Similarly, 15%
of youth suffered major depression, yet more than 60% of those young people didn’t receive
treatment.
b. In Practice
Access to treatment is one of the biggest issues that patients with mental health disorders face.
They may lack transportation, especially if they’re low-income. They may live in a health
professional shortage area, which describes many rural regions in the U.S. They may be part of a
specific population that lacks equal access to care. Tele-health can circumvent some of these
challenges, although connectivity and technology issues remain.
a. Research implications
i. Research indicates that cultural beliefs, language barriers, and local customs may influence the
acceptance and effectiveness of tele-counseling.
b. In Practice
i. Clinicians should incorporate culturally sensitive approaches in tele-counseling, providing
multilingual services and addressing culturally specific mental health concerns.
ii. Training programs such as Mental Health First Response (MHFR) Training that provide in-person
and online self-paced courses should emphasize competence for practitioners in tele-health
services.
a. Research implications
i. Research indicates that research is needed to examine the adequacy of the current telehealth
regulations, how these regulatory gaps expose the client's potential confidentiality breaches,
particularly in jurisdictions with weak or outdated data protection laws.
ii. Research indicates lack of standardization licensing requirements across regions creates barriers
for tele-counseling practitioners to provide proper care to international clients and potentially
deny service to those in underserved areas.
b. In Practice
i. Clinicians must adhere to local and international tele-health regulations, ensuring compliance
with varying local and international regulations confidentiality and data protection laws.
ii. Institutions should advocate for clearer and universally applicable tele-counseling policies,
making the legal framework more accessible to both practitioners and clients.
C. Discuss how social media aggravates and how it can be used to address mental health issues
SOCIAL MEDIA
Has revolutionized the way we connect, communicate, and consume information. While it offers numerous
benefits, such as facilitating global connections and fostering communities, it can also have detrimental effects
on mental health.
This report explores the dual nature of social media, examining how it can both exacerbate and alleviate mental
health issues.
● Social media can be viewed as factors that have both bad and beneficial effects on people's mental health
(Bekalu et al., 2023).
○ Suicide is one example of a negative impact of social media on mental health, with social media exposure,
parental pressure, and social contagion being linked to risk factors among young people (Astorri et al.,
2023; Martinez et al., 2023).
○ Hate speech or misunderstanding of people with mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, may also occur
(Battaglia et al., 2022). Public ridicule and a bad representation of some features of illnesses might
exacerbate the condition.
2. Fear of missing out (FOMO) and social media addiction. While the fear of missing out or FOMO has been around
far longer than social media, sites such as Facebook and Instagram seem to exacerbate feelings that others are
having more fun or living better lives than you are. The idea that you’re missing out on certain things can impact
your self-esteem, trigger anxiety, and fuel even greater social media use, much like an addiction. FOMO can
compel you to pick up your phone every few minutes to check for updates, or compulsively respond to each and
every alert—even if that means taking risks while you’re driving, missing out on sleep at night, or prioritizing
social media interaction over real world relationships.
3. Isolation. A study at the University of Pennsylvania found that high usage of Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram
increases rather decreases feelings of loneliness. Conversely, the study found that reducing social media usage
can actually make you feel less lonely and isolated and improve your overall wellbeing.
4. Depression and anxiety. Human beings need face-to-face contact to be mentally healthy. Nothing reduces stress
and boosts your mood faster or more effectively than eye-to-eye contact with someone who cares about you.
The more you prioritize social media interaction over in-person relationships, the more you’re at risk for
developing or exacerbating mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
5. Cyberbullying. About 10 percent of teens report being bullied on social media and many other users are subjected
to offensive comments. Social media platforms such as Twitter can be hotspots for spreading hurtful rumors,
lies, and abuse that can leave lasting emotional scars.
6. Self-absorption. Sharing endless selfies and all your innermost thoughts on social media can create an unhealthy
self-centeredness and distance you from real-life connections.
1. Online Support Groups: Social media platforms can provide a space for individuals to connect with others who
share similar experiences and challenges. Online support groups offer a sense of belonging, empathy, and
understanding, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness.
2. Mental Health Awareness Campaigns: Social media has become a powerful tool for raising awareness about
mental health issues. Campaigns can challenge stigma, promote understanding, and encourage help-seeking
behavior. By sharing personal stories, educational content, and resources, these campaigns can empower
individuals to prioritize their mental well-being.
3. Teletherapy and Online Counseling: The rise of teletherapy has made mental health services more accessible
to a wider range of people. Online counseling sessions provide a convenient and flexible way to receive
professional help, reducing barriers to care.
4. Crisis Hotlines and Chatbots: Crisis hotlines and chatbots offer immediate support during times of emotional
distress. These services provide a confidential and non-judgmental space for individuals to seek help. AI-powered
chatbots can offer 24/7 support, providing information, coping strategies, and referrals to professional help.
1. Spending more time on social media than with real world friends.
2. Comparing yourself unfavorably with others on social media.
3. Experiencing cyberbullying.
4. Being distracted at school or work.
5. Having no time for self-reflection.
6. Engaging in risky behavior in order to gain likes, shares, or positive reactions on social media.
7. Suffering from sleep problems.
8. Worsening symptoms of anxiety or depression.
How to change your social media use: