The Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto has reported that while mental illness accounts for roughly 10% of the disease burden in Ontario, it receives only 7% of health-care dollars.

The over $1.5 billion shortage strains the system’s  capacity to provide prompt assistance and effective care. Only half of Canadians undergoing a major depressive episode receive “potentially sufficient treatment.” One promising solution to increase the accessibility of mental healthcare is virtual therapy, such as virtual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

CBT is a psychotherapy approach that attempts to change a persons’ behavior and thinking patterns. It has gained widespread recognition for its effectiveness in addressing depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and alcohol and substance use disorders. There are many techniques used in CBT. For example, a popular strategy used is role-playing exercises, which help individuals prepare for challenging interpersonal interactions, and exposure therapy, which involves confronting and managing fears and anxieties.

Currently, many individuals face significant obstacles when seeking therapy. The pandemic prompted a shift toward virtual therapy. And support for the modality has been growing.

Elnaz Moghimi is an  Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Queen’s University, and a researcher at Waypoint Research Institute. She conducts research on evidence-based mental health treatments and the efficacy of free online psychotherapy programs like virtual CBT. Moghimi says:

“Without a doubt having free online programs is an important way to improve and optimize community mental health via reduced costs to healthcare and individuals.”

However, she cautions: “At the same time we have to be mindful that this is not a one-size-fits-all solution and that virtual therapy also has its drawbacks. In certain communities such as northern, rural area, tech and internet access is limited, making it exceptionally difficult to receive virtual care. This therapy can limit use to certain populations. There is now a lot of work being done on improving digital literacy in the elderly population. The therapies may not be appropriate for individuals with high symptom severity who would benefit more from in-person care. Clinicians and hospitals may also be hesitant or take their time in implementing these solutions due to the above factors as well as the training needed for staff and healthcare professionals to appropriately administer virtual therapy.”

Despite these obstacles, online mental health programs are making significant strides in improving access to care. One notable example is the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) program, which is being implemented in some hospitals to address these challenges and improve mental health services.

In Ontario, an important program that offers free virtual CBT is Bounce Back, which is offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). The program was created to help primary care clinicians support adolescents and adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, or stress.

According to a study by Lyndall Schumann and colleagues in 2023, people who participated in the BounceBack program reported substantial improvements in their depression and anxiety.

Another virtual CBT program based in the UK is Beating the Blues,  which offers online CBT for individuals with mild to moderate depression and anxiety. A randomized controlled trial showed that the Beating the Blues virtual CBT program works well for most people in regular healthcare settings regardless of factors like age, gender, medication, or duration of the condition. A follow-up 6 months later showed lasting improvement from the program.

While virtual CBT reduces the physical barrier to access mental health treatment for people with disabilities, there are still accessibility issues. Many insurance companies don’t cover the cost of virtual treatment options, and confidentiality and privacy continues to be a concern for online therapy. Additionally, technology issues pose further challenges, potentially hindering timely access to treatment when needed.

-Vi Vo, Contributing Writer

Image Credits:

Feature: Valeriy Honcharuk at Shutterstock

First: Freepik at Freepik, Creative Commons

Second: Freepik at Freepik, Creative Commons