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Purpose: Mental health suffered during the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown in Scotland. While there was limited availability for face‐to‐face counselling, online counselling was available via telephone, videoconference, email, one‐to‐one chat and group basis. Existing research has failed to examine inter‐modality comparisons of client experiences of online counselling during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: Scottish participants (n = 94) who received online counselling during the COVID‐19 pandemic completed an online survey using quantitative methodology, which explored their experiences of one of five online counselling modalities measured by two reliable scales: the Working Alliance Inventory‐Short Revised and factor one of the Satisfaction with Therapy and Therapist Scale. Additional exploratory analysis investigated whether age, gender, choice of online counselling modality and pre‐COVID‐19 pandemic familiarity with online counselling affected these outcomes. Results: Working alliance and satisfaction outcomes were positively correlated. No significant differences between working alliance and satisfaction scores were found between the five modalities. Female participants, and those who received their preferred choice of counselling modality, had significantly greater working alliance than those who did not. Conclusion: These findings provide insights to clients and practitioners about the variety of synchronous and asynchronous online platforms that can facilitate good therapeutic outcomes. The importance of participant choice of counselling modality was reiterated. The broader implications of the findings and the future direction of a hybrid online and face‐to‐face counselling model were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this research was to understand counsellors' and therapists' perceptions and experiences of working online during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Method: Five hundred and ninety clinicians, mostly UK‐based, responded to an online qualitative survey, which allowed data to be gathered from a broader range of participants than is typical for qualitative interviews or focus group studies, and provided a wide‐angle lens. The survey generated over 130,000 words, on which a five‐staged framework analysis was conducted. Seven superordinate themes were identified. Results: In this paper, three of these superordinate themes specifically addressing online therapeutic practice with individual adult clients are presented. Therapists' accounts addressed the diverse ways in which the online space changed how they thought about the therapy relationship and their interactions with clients. Respondents described instances where online therapy had been beneficial for facilitating and cultivating the therapeutic process and relationship as well as how online therapy could have a potentially disruptive impact on therapeutic practice. Implications: For practitioners who continue to deliver therapy solely online and/or offer hybrid services, this study identifies the specific knowledge and skills required for effective and safe online therapeutic work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zusammenfassung Online-Weiterbildungsberatung kann mittlerweile auf ein eigenständiges beraterisches Profil zurückgreifen, um Ratsuchenden individuelle Zugänge der Problembearbeitung sowie Möglichkeiten zur Entfaltung von Lern- und Bildungspotenzialen in allen Lebensphasen und -bereichen anzubieten. Grundsätzlich bildet die gesamte Lebenswelt, in der Erwachsene handeln, denken und fühlen (analog wie digital), den Horizont möglicher Beratungsanlässe. Auf Basis praxistheoretischer Grundannahmen zu digital-gestützten Interaktionen werden über eine qualitative Online-Forschung entlang digitaler Dokumente sowie einer semiotischen Interaktionsanalyse eines exemplarischen Online-Portals der Weiterbildungsberatung ( www.der-weiterbildungsratgeber.de ) Aktivierungslogiken, digital-mediale Ordnungen sowie Adressierungspraktiken rekonstruiert.

Abstract Population-based studies have shown that a growing number of counsellors have been providing counselling via the Internet. There are mixed findings regarding the effectiveness of online counselling compared to traditional face-to-face counselling and other modalities. During the COVID-19 outbreak, online counselling services were advanced as the only safe means of attending to mental health conditions, especially during the lockdowns. However, the effectiveness of online counselling remains unclear, especially in developing countries with low digital literacy and poor Internet connectivity. This study's main purpose was to investigate and determine the clients' and therapists' perspectives on the effectiveness of online counselling during the pandemic based on the level of preparedness, mode of delivery, and challenges faced. The study used mixed methods employing a parallel convergent design and collected data from 284 participants (44 therapists and 240 counselling clients). The study found that therapists were not prepared to offer online counselling services, but were compelled by high demands for counselling services from clients during the pandemic. Both clients and therapists cited the cost of data bundles to connect to the Internet as a major barrier. Furthermore, both clients and therapists indicated that the most effective platform was video conferencing. The findings also show that therapists observed slowed progress in the client's recovery due to clients missing sessions. Logistic regression results on factors associated with preparedness and positive perception of online counselling showed that older therapists and lay counsellors were less likely to be prepared and evaluate sessions as less effective, respectively. Living in Lusaka (the capital) was associated with higher odds of perceiving online counselling as effective. Client results showed that older clients had lower odds of being prepared, and the counsellor being prepared increased the odds of the online counselling being perceived as effective. The researchers conclude that online counselling, in the context of a developing country, is ineffective because of the cost of Internet connection, the multiplicity of information communication technology (ICT) channels, low digital literacy, and lack of knowledge or experience using these platforms.

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Population-based studies have shown that a growing number of counsellors have been providing counselling via the Internet. There are mixed findings regarding the effectiveness of online counselling compared to traditional face-to-face counselling and other modalities. During the COVID-19 outbreak, online counselling services were advanced as the only safe means of attending to mental health conditions, especially during the lockdowns. However, the effectiveness of online counselling remains unclear, especially in developing countries with low digital literacy and poor Internet connectivity. This study's main purpose was to investigate and determine the clients' and therapists' perspectives on the effectiveness of online counselling during the pandemic based on the level of preparedness, mode of delivery, and challenges faced. The study used mixed methods employing a parallel convergent design and collected data from 284 participants (44 therapists and 240 counselling clients). The study found that therapists were not prepared to offer online counselling services, but were compelled by high demands for counselling services from clients during the pandemic. Both clients and therapists cited the cost of data bundles to connect to the Internet as a major barrier. Furthermore, both clients and therapists indicated that the most effective platform was video conferencing. The findings also show that therapists observed slowed progress in the client's recovery due to clients missing sessions. Logistic regression results on factors associated with preparedness and positive perception of online counselling showed that older therapists and lay counsellors were less likely to be prepared and evaluate sessions as less effective, respectively. Living in Lusaka (the capital) was associated with higher odds of perceiving online counselling as effective. Client results showed that older clients had lower odds of being prepared, and the counsellor being prepared increased the odds of the online counselling being perceived as effective. The researchers conclude that online counselling, in the context of a developing country, is ineffective because of the cost of Internet connection, the multiplicity of information communication technology (ICT) channels, low digital literacy, and lack of knowledge or experience using these platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imposition of nation-wide lockdowns and sporadic transition to remote work produced unforeseen psychological challenges likely to impact the medium of care and workload of mental health professionals. The present study explored the lived occupational experiences of clinical psychologists, counsellors, and psychotherapists working in the National Health Service (NHS) and private practice in the UK during COVID-19 pandemic. Nineteen professionals (11 employed in the NHS and 8 working in independent settings) were interviewed about their professional experiences during first and second waves of the pandemic. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (i) transition from face to face to online therapy; (ii) novel changes and wellbeing; and (iii) uncertain professional support in uncertain times. The findings suggest that lack of experience in providing online or telephonic psychotherapeutic services from home negatively impacted professionals' physical and psychological health and wellbeing. Thus, to cope with it, they availed psychological and structural support from colleagues, co-workers, clinical supervisors, managers, organisations, and professional bodies. This study adds to the existing body of research on the impact of the pandemic on UK-based mental health professionals and from an applied perspective, it highlights the need for skill-upgradation of professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Divorce rates among individuals aged 50 and above are on the rise. Given the greater life expectancy compared to previous generations, this is an issue that is affecting an increasing number of people. Therefore, it warrants an inquiry into the challenges these individuals encounter in their intimate relationships. Methods: This study analyzed 225 relationship-related queries posted on Czech counselling websites to identify the strains and stressor patterns that older adults face in their relationships. The queries were limited to those that concerned themes and problems related to partnerships, were posted by one of the partners aged 60 or over, and were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Four main relationship issues were identified: infidelity and jealousy; relationship estrangement and cooling; undesirable changes in personality; and illness and somatic issues. Additionally, three recurring themes were identified that made the problems more demanding and that were specific to older age: lack of norms for relationships in that age group, absence of resources to tackle the issues, and personal calculation for Time Spent and Time Remaining. Discussion: The research found that the types of problems encountered by older adults were similar to those experienced by younger individuals. However, the way these problems were perceived and processed was influenced by specific aspects of aging, such as societal expectations, available coping resources, and the perception of time. The findings also highlighted the challenges faced by older adults in terms of relationship norms, sexual functioning, and personality changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital mental health interventions comprise a potentially effective and accessible form of support for young people, particularly at times when traditional face‐to‐face service delivery is reduced, as in the COVID‐19 pandemic. Aims: This study assessed the demographic profile of young people using a digital mental health support service and evaluated outcome change over the course of a structured online counselling intervention (synchronous text‐chat sessions with a practitioner). Materials and Methods: The data were collected from 23,260 young people aged between 10 and 25 years engaging with the intervention between April 2019 and June 2021. Results: Young people accessing these services had high levels of mental health needs, particularly those identifying with non‐binary gender identity. Service users were mostly female, with equitable rates of access for young people from racialised communities. Overall outcome change demonstrated small effect sizes according to the YP‐CORE (0.19) and CORE‐10 (0.38), which increased to a moderate level when young people remained engaged with a dedicated practitioner for at least seven sessions (0.38, 0.58). Regression analysis illustrated the effect of the number of sessions on outcome change, but this can be also influenced by other variables such as age and gender. Discussion and Conclusion: Further research is required to explore ways to engage with young people using digital web‐based services for a longer period and to collect and analyse single‐session outcome data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionDivorce rates among individuals aged 50 and above are on the rise. Given the greater life expectancy compared to previous generations, this is an issue that is affecting an increasing number of people. Therefore, it warrants an inquiry into the challenges these individuals encounter in their intimate relationships.MethodsThis study analyzed 225 relationship-related queries posted on Czech counselling websites to identify the strains and stressor patterns that older adults face in their relationships. The queries were limited to those that concerned themes and problems related to partnerships, were posted by one of the partners aged 60 or over, and were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsFour main relationship issues were identified: infidelity and jealousy; relationship estrangement and cooling; undesirable changes in personality; and illness and somatic issues. Additionally, three recurring themes were identified that made the problems more demanding and that were specific to older age: lack of norms for relationships in that age group, absence of resources to tackle the issues, and personal calculation for Time Spent and Time Remaining.DiscussionThe research found that the types of problems encountered by older adults were similar to those experienced by younger individuals. However, the way these problems were perceived and processed was influenced by specific aspects of aging, such as societal expectations, available coping resources, and the perception of time. The findings also highlighted the challenges faced by older adults in terms of relationship norms, sexual functioning, and personality changes.

Filipinos are often reluctant to seek professional mental health (MH) help. However, literature reveals that online counselling is preferable to face‐to‐face (F2F) MH services, with the pandemic possibly magnifying technology's anonymity and disinhibiting benefits. To further explore facilitators of online MH help‐seeking, this study tapped into the lived stories of Filipino adults who experienced at least one counselling session from March 2020 to March 2022. Among 83 screened respondents, 11 semistructured interviews were transcribed and analysed following Crossley's (2000) method. Findings reveal an overarching online MH counselling narrative composed of three phases and their respective events: (a) Precounselling (Resiliency Narrative versus MH Awareness, Turning Point, and Linking versus Searching); (b) Counselling (Two‐way Introduction, Unloading and Untangling, and Decision to Maintain or Terminate); and (c) Postcounselling (Relapse and Journey towards Growth and Advocacy). Three all‐encompassing facilitators were embedded throughout the process: Autonomy, Financial Capability, and MH Institutions. Notably, participants attributed their MH help‐seeking to autonomy, despite culture and stigma, because of enabling environments that entail heightened MH literacy, positive past experiences with professional MH help, social support and encouragement, and a sense of shared reality. Benefits unique to online counselling were also apparent among participants' narratives, including alleviating geographical boundaries and added financial and personal pressures. Overall, findings posit that Filipino adults consider online counselling as a preferable alternative to F2F counselling, thus necessitating further development and institutional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research, conducted in the particular space–time of university classes transitioning online due to a global pandemic, describes a kairotic moment particularly concerned with the accessibility of learning resources, pedagogical interaction, and students' mental health. Our research was conducted with a focus on online general education electives delivered across all undergraduate years at a university in South Korea, to formulate online facilitation methods for identity formation writing using the universal cultural framework of K-culture. We asked students to read K-webtoons, to understand the relation between self-esteem and self-doubt, and to diagnose their current situations. Then, we asked them to write a self-examination essay using the media literacy of K-pop to induce empathy. In their rough drafts, we observed their will to overcome their obstacles, even though their writing described negative experiences from the past and the limitations they currently faced. During virtual office hours, we instructed students to think critically about the structure of Korean society, beyond their personal self-examination, and in their second, edited drafts, we found a heightened sense of civic awareness. This research is significant, therefore, because it provides a detailed account of the abstract process of writing identity essays utilising K-culture media literacy, and the process of seeking a method of communication for critical awareness of social structures and action in a community through virtual office hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the experience of a peer chat service for young people that was launched in 2019 in Italian-speaking Switzerland and is still ongoing. It is a type of counselling where young people help other young people during a specific time. The peer chats are avatar-based, so this type of counselling is confidential, digital and written. In this preliminary evaluation, we wanted to take into account both the experiences of those who have used this service and the characteristics of the peer chats. The results show that satisfaction with the service and certain dimensions of life skills assessment such as self-knowledge, problem solving, empathy and many others were good. The conclusions explore both the limitations and the possibilities of this new way of providing digital support to young people by young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, we examine whether and how youth care workers in Israel utilize social media for the purposes of outreach, emotional support, and therapeutic interventions for at-risk youth, while referring to the advantages and challenges of online communication. Interviews with counselors, social workers, and clinical psychologists who work with youth at risk, reveal positive perceptions towards these channels and report on therapeutic successes achieved through social networks and messaging apps. The analysis of the interviews reveals that online communication improves the possibilities of the care workers in three key areas: Reaching out and maintaining reciprocal and meaningful therapeutic relationships with youth at-risk over time; (2) Identifying risks and emotional distress; and (3) "stepping in" and providing psychosocial assistance, when needed. These beneficial practices are made possible through the high accessibility and the sense of secured mediation that characterize social media communication and that complement the psychosocial needs of youth at risk. Alongside these advantages, the analysis yielded several challenges in social media therapeutic relationships, questions of privacy, authority and boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In anonymous online text-based counselling provided by social services, counsellors face specific communicative and professional challenges. Among other things, they need to ensure that they have understood the chat users correctly in order to provide relevant information and advice. The paper studies how counsellors check their understanding of users' situations by using formulations, namely, summarising and rephrasing users' initial problem descriptions. The data consists of chat logs from 56 web-based counselling sessions provided by social services in Sweden. Conversational analysis is used to examine the functions of chat counsellors' formulations. Analyses show that counsellors reformulate users' initial requests to establish a joint understanding of the users' situations and help requested. Three distinct functions of the initial formulations are identified: recasting requests in the institutional terms of social services, clarifying ambiguity in the user's initial posts and affiliating with the user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people's engagement with online counselling remains an endemic obstacle faced by mental health services. This study utilises the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework to systematically explore the barriers and facilitators of young people's behavioural engagement with online webchat counselling. The current study defines behavioural engagement as any observable or active contribution by the young person in the webchat sessions, such as written verbalisation and self‐expression. Semi‐structured interviews with counsellors (n = 8) and open‐ended questionnaire data from 43 young people (aged 18–25 years) were gathered and then coded. Nine core themes were identified including communication difficulties, the safety of the webchat environment, absence of face‐to‐face communication, ambiguity in messages or pauses, reaching goals, optimism about outcomes, pre‐existing anxieties, mood or well‐being and wanting/not wanting to attend. Using the BCW framework, these themes were mapped to broad intervention functions and behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to provide suggestions to optimise young people's engagement with online counselling. These include the application of persuasive design features, the use of social strategies, increased counsellor training and greater personalisation of the online therapeutic approach. Future research can determine the effectiveness of these proposed strategies and BCTs to enrich the emerging engagement strategy field and the wider digital and mental health behaviour change literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our contribution opens with the fi ndings of foreign and Czech studies on the impact of the social isolation caused by coronavirus pandemic restrictions on the lifestyle, well-being and mental health of university students relevant to our counselling experience. The introduction of online teaching and counselling is refl ected. The most common problems of students presented before and during the pandemic and managed in the course of the counselling process are summarized. We describe our counselling strategies, based on the principles of health promotion applied when supporting a healthy lifestyle in students (work-life balance, healthy sleeping, eating, physical activity regimen); cognitive behavioural strategies applied in managing study and stress-related problems like test anxiety, perfectionism, addictive substances abuse and quitting smoking or tobacco use; and Gestalt therapy strategies aimed at building the counselling relationship and increasing the awareness of the client experience. We also mention our educational activities (optional courses on stress management using cognitive behavioural and mindfulness strategies). Finally, the need for collaboration with the Study Division, the faculty contact person for students with special needs, the Centre for the Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in the Královské Vinohrady Teaching Hospital and the Carolina Counselling Centre of Charles University is stressed. The aim of communication and networking is to spread information on counselling services among students and motivate them to use those services when needed, thus contributing to the prevention of academic failure and the promotion of mental health and well-being in students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to study the effectiveness of group counselling program with cognitive behavior therapy to reduce risk of game addicting behavior among junior school students. The population used in the study was a junior high school student at an all-boys school in Bangkok. A sample of 105 people who were interested in participating in a group counseling program to reduce risky gaming behaviors was recruited. Simple random sampling was used to determine the research sample of 20 people and divided into experimental groups and control groups of 10 people each. The tools used in this research was as 1) Game Addiction Test, 2) Group counselling program. The results showed that, 1) There was a decrease in scores on game addiction test of experimental group which participated in counselling program. 2) There was no difference in scores on the game addiction test of control group which doesn’t participated in counselling program. The group counseling program with opinion and behavior therapy that the researcher created consisted of 6 activities according to the cognitive and behavioral therapy method consisted of: 1) relationship building activities 2) learning and understanding the relationship of thinking activities 3) comparing gaming and life activities 4) life and gaming graphs 5) peer counseling activities 6) summarized the activities, which takes 90 minutes per activity or 9 hours in total. This developed group counselling program has effect size of 0.19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, online counselling is being considered a cost-effective alternative to traditional face-to-face counseling especially helpful for those who are in remote areas and have no access to such services. With this study, the authors have made an effort to understand the participants' attitudes towards mental health services and their preference between online and face-to-face counseling. A survey is conducted with 203 users from age groups 16-40 years in India using Dr. Joseph Hammer's Mental Health Seeking Attitude Scale and Aaron Rochlen's online and face-to-face counseling attitudes scale. With the help of several statistical tools, it is found that a majority of the participants have an inclination toward online counseling and find it healthier, useful, and empowering as compared to face-to-face counseling. Based on these results, it seems like online counseling is more convenient for the participants and it seems to bridge the gap between practitioners and the people in need of mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study provides insight into counsellors' experiences of counselling clients online. The foci include (a) counsellors' experience of negotiating the therapeutic relationship online, (b) their experiences of utilising and adapting their clinical skills to assess clients in an online capacity, and (c) ethical issues associated with practicing online. Open-ended interviews were conducted with three counsellors located in Canada and one in the United States. Narrative analysis revealed eight major themes: convenience, therapeutic alliance, online counselling skills, assessing client suitability, reaching diverse clients, assessing client satisfaction, legal and ethical concerns, and personal and professional goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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During the transition period from adolescence to adulthood, individuals with high level of social anxiety may face challenges in their academics, social life, and career. The internet-based CBT (iCBT) module "Konseling Daring Pendukung Siswa Cerdas" (KDPSC) was developed to intervene with the social anxiety experienced by Indonesian young adults. Fifteen university freshmen with moderate to high levels of social anxiety agreed to fully participate in all sessions of the program. The sessions were conducted under the guidance of registered psychologists through the chatting platform on Google Hangouts. Indonesian version of Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) were administered during the pretest and posttest. We initially conducted a qualitative assessment during the intervention and found three emergent themes at the beginning of Session Two, namely, loneliness, the feeling of having no choice, and social withdrawal. After the end of Session Two, three emergent themes were found; 1), positive thinking, 2) feeling academically motivated, and 3) intention to open up. The main finding showed that students’ level of social anxiety after intervention (M = 58.07; SE = 3.28; t(14) = 4.250; p

Nowadays, technology-based counselling like artificial intelligence (AI) and messenger-based counselling (MBC) is believed to be beneficial. However, how to observe and to interpret the client's behaviour during MBC is not simple even for the counsellor, and AI will not be able to do so. For instance, the behaviours worth highlighting when conducting MBC are type-delete-retype-delete-retype, the typing period, emoticons and replay quickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical assessments for children and young people entering a mental health service help to identify the prevalence of need within that population, support intervention recommendations, and enable service evaluation. Evidence related to the use of standardised measures in an ever‐expanding online environment, for the purpose of identifying need, is limited. Methods: This study explores the reliability of using a standardised measure to detect clinical need in an online therapeutic environment, and the measures assessed are as follows: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Young Person's CORE (YP‐CORE) and the Short Warwick and Edinburgh Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). A deep‐dive approach is used to inform practitioner assessment of young people, followed by a Weighted Cohen's Kappa (Κw) to measure the interrater reliability between this and the individuals' self‐rated outcome. Composite case studies represent the complexities of presentation among the sample population. Results: The interrater reliability between self‐rated and practitioner rated assessment varied between Κw =.222 and Κw = 0.446 depending on the measure. High levels of need and low levels of well‐being were found among the sample (YP‐CORE Avg. = 26.9, SDQ Avg. = 19.56, SWEMWBS Avg. = 18.1). Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a fair to moderate reliability when assessing concordance between service users and practitioners, which suggests standardised measures are a reliable indicator of need. Higher levels of need were present than those seen previously in general or face‐to‐face clinical populations, which suggests using such measures in an online therapeutic environment influences the way in which assessments are responded to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology‐delivered psychological interventions, particularly online and telephonic counselling, have flourished in recent years, with the need for such a flexible delivery method increasing due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. While empirical research on technology‐delivered psychological interventions is limited, findings indicate that therapists have a positive attitude towards online counselling. There is a particular lack of research on therapists' perceptions and experiences of using technology‐delivered interventions. The primary aim of this study was to explore therapists' experiences of providing online counselling, thereby gaining insight into the therapeutic experience, processes and efficacy from the therapists' perspective. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with five therapists, registered with organisations providing professional counselling and psychotherapy, with experience of providing synchronous/real‐time online video, audio or chat‐mediated counselling sessions. The interviews comprised open‐ended questions. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data, through which two superordinate themes were identified: (a) environmental adaptation and (b) practice enhancement. Our findings suggest that therapists' online counselling experiences incorporate several factors related to environmental adaptation and practice enhancement that impact the therapeutic process, outcomes, progress and relationship. The findings could inform the development of training, awareness‐raising and skills‐enhanced interventions for psychotherapists already using and hoping to use online therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects upon the history of online counselling and psychotherapy research. It provides a reflection upon the growing body of research in this field and discusses the impact of the recent global COVID‐19 pandemic upon it. It specifically argues that the pandemic has been an evolutionary catalyst for developments in online therapy. Therapeutic practices, and attitudes towards them, have changed in ways that will alter the shape and form of therapies in the future. As a consequence, research into online therapeutic work needs to be responsive and adapt to this changing world. Counselling and psychotherapy researchers therefore have to situate themselves in a way that allows them to keep one foot in the present and one foot in the future to stay abreast of technological developments. There may be a reluctance to do so from some areas in the therapeutic profession, but their presence might prove vital in ensuring that ethical sensitivity, which acknowledges and values the complexity of the human experience, remains at the foreground of psychological support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment measures have been widely adopted into mental health settings incorporating idiographic (personalised) and nomothetic (standardised) approaches. Online mental health support services have developed significantly, but with very little testing of these measures. This study assesses the relative merits of acceptability, applicability and appropriateness of assessment measures online for children and young people. Acceptability was determined by whether users elected to complete the measure, applicability by whether they understood the questions, and appropriateness by their experience of completing the measure. Three measures, the Short Warwick‐Edinburgh Emotional and Mental Well‐Being Scale (SWEMWBS), the Young Person's Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (YP‐CORE) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), were randomly offered to 7,235 new registrations to assess relative acceptability of the measures, and two follow‐up questions were asked to assess applicability and appropriateness. The chi‐square tests of independence were calculated to compare response rates for each measure, followed by post hoc pairwise comparisons and effect size calculations. There was a high level of acceptability of the measures, with statistically significant differences between the less‐accepted SDQ and more‐accepted SWEMWBS. For applicability, the SWEMWBS was less understood and relatable than the other assessment measures. All the measures demonstrated a tolerable appropriateness. All differences were indicated at a small effect size. These findings support the acceptability, applicability and appropriateness of the use of assessment measures in an online setting. The SWEMWBS demonstrated surprisingly low applicability against the more clinical measures, suggesting further investigation into how young people ascribe meaning to the measures, and their motivations for completing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young people are increasingly looking towards the internet for mental health support. There has been little research on the impact of online counselling, as captured in routine outcome measures. This research aims to explore an online counselling service, using goal‐based data. Methods: 'Meaningful change' drawing on the principles of the Reliable Change Index, t tests and logistic regression were applied to administration data (n = 4,218) to assess goal progress, and associations between service contact, goal type and meaningful change. Results: 55.6% of young people reported meaningful goal improvement. Those who meaningfully improved spent significantly more time engaged than those who did not. Goal types most likely to meaningfully improve were 'getting professional help' and 'self‐help–self‐care'. Conclusions: Most young people made significant movement towards their collaboratively agreed goals, which is a good indication that the service is helping to address important areas of change. The findings, linked to earlier research, may indicate that those who report improvements in goals may engage with services more. The high proportion of 'getting help' goals may be attributable to the online setting, which young people may use as a first point of contact for help seeking, to gather information to access further support. With the increased uptake of online support services associated with the current global pandemic, future research should consider the present findings as a baseline of goal progress and service utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The development of online psychological counselling brings new ethical challenges, related to the use of advanced technologies in traditional psychological tasks. The aim of the article is to present two studies of websites dedicated to provide online psychological counselling services (N = 43, 80), in which the degree of implementation of ethical principles was verified. The results confirmed that not all ethical requirements are implemented to a sufficient degree. The article also presents proposals for actions aimed at increasing ethical awareness of practitioners and changes necessary to introduce in Polish codes of ethic.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed unexpected global economic and societal challenges. These include a heavy impact on mental health due to fast changing lockdown and quarantine measures, uncertainty about health and safety and the prospect of new waves of infections. To provide crisis mental health support during the pandemic, Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary launched a specialist online counselling programme, consisting of one to three sessions. The programme was available to all university members between 4th March and 25th May 2020. Overall, 47 clients received support. In this paper we discuss challenges reported by clients, key features of providing a brief mental health intervention online, reflect on counsellor experiences and give recommendations on how mental health services could be developed in the time of crisis. Most clients had challenges with developing a daily routine under quarantine; and many had hardship related to finances, housing, and distance learning. Common mental health consequences included fear from the virus and stress, anxiety, and fatigue due to the interruption to everyday life. In some cases, more complex conditions were triggered by the pandemic. Examples include addictive behaviours and symptoms of depression or psychosis. However, referring cases beyond the competency of counselling proved to be a challenge due to the closure of specialist services. Counsellors observed three key features to the online delivery of a brief crisis mental health intervention: [1] an explicit problem-oriented approach to counselling; [2] challenges of building rapport online; and [3] frames of online counselling. Counsellor experiences often overlapped with those of clients and included challenges of working from home and adjusting to online counselling methods. The possibility of online counselling allowed that mental health care could take place at all during the pandemic. Client experiences reflect findings from previous literature. Like other mental health initiatives launched to tackle COVID-19, the intervention's effectiveness was not measured given the unexpected context and short time frame for programme development. We recommend the use of impact measurement tools to develop mental health services in crises. Meanwhile, the pandemic brought to attention the need to better understand online delivery models. Counsellors should have access to training opportunities on online counselling and managing work-life balance in a remote setting. The COVID-19 counselling programme in Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary is an example of providing online mental health counselling in the time of crisis. Clearly, more studies are needed discussing delivery models and effectiveness of mental health interventions during the pandemic. Experience and knowledge sharing across practitioners should be encouraged to improve how the field reacts to unexpected, high risk events and crises.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed unexpected global economic and societal challenges. These include a heavy impact on mental health due to fast changing lockdown and quarantine measures, uncertainty about health and safety and the prospect of new waves of infections. To provide crisis mental health support during the pandemic, Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary launched a specialist online counselling programme, consisting of one to three sessions. The programme was available to all university members between 4th March and 25th May 2020. Overall, 47 clients received support. In this paper we discuss challenges reported by clients, key features of providing a brief mental health intervention online, reflect on counsellor experiences and give recommendations on how mental health services could be developed in the time of crisis. Most clients had challenges with developing a daily routine under quarantine; and many had hardship related to finances, housing, and distance learning. Common mental health consequences included fear from the virus and stress, anxiety, and fatigue due to the interruption to everyday life. In some cases, more complex conditions were triggered by the pandemic. Examples include addictive behaviours and symptoms of depression or psychosis. However, referring cases beyond the competency of counselling proved to be a challenge due to the closure of specialist services. Counsellors observed three key features to the online delivery of a brief crisis mental health intervention: [1] an explicit problem-oriented approach to counselling; [2] challenges of building rapport online; and [3] frames of online counselling. Counsellor experiences often overlapped with those of clients and included challenges of working from home and adjusting to online counselling methods. The possibility of online counselling allowed that mental health care could take place at all during the pandemic. Client experiences reflect findings from previous literature. Like other mental health initiatives launched to tackle COVID-19, the intervention's effectiveness was not measured given the unexpected context and short time frame for programme development. We recommend the use of impact measurement tools to develop mental health services in crises. Meanwhile, the pandemic brought to attention the need to better understand online delivery models. Counsellors should have access to training opportunities on online counselling and managing work-life balance in a remote setting. The COVID-19 counselling programme in Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary is an example of providing online mental health counselling in the time of crisis. Clearly, more studies are needed discussing delivery models and effectiveness of mental health interventions during the pandemic. Experience and knowledge sharing across practitioners should be encouraged to improve how the field reacts to unexpected, high risk events and crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the study were: (a) to explore the self-reported knowledge of counsellors about technology in counselling. (b) to understand the flexibility, usage, and openness to integrating the technology services in their practice, and (c) to identify the problems associated with using technology as a process in counselling. Semi-structured interviews of eleven practising counsellors in Bangalore and Chennai, India, recruited through snowball sampling, were used for data collection. The deductive content analysis of the interview transcripts generated seven concepts, each comprising of several categories. The seven concepts were 'attitude', 'strengths', 'weakness', 'suitability', 'skills and training', 'therapeutic alliance', and 'theoretical approaches'. The analysis revealed that the counsellors preferred face-to-face counselling and were not using technology for their mainstream practice, but all were quite aware of the process, the benefits and costs of using different forms of technology. The study revealed that the counsellors were also aware about the target population and mental health issues for online counselling. This study has strong implications for building additional skills and enhancing training for counsellors to use technology in their counselling practice, along with the formulation of legal and ethical policies, certification and licensing, in order to protect both the clients and counsellors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of E-Beratungsjournal is the property of E-beratungsjournal.net and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The psychosocial and mental health support system in Afghanistan has evolved significantly over the last decades. Inge Missmahl, founder and director of the International Psychosocial Organisation gGmbH traces the history of the sector over the last fourteen years and reflects on working towards the long-term integration of biopsychosocial mental health care in the Afghan Public Health System. Health system integration was accomplished through development and training delivery of a value-based counselling approach. The approach is based on six fundamental principles which consider the sociocultural origins and context of the individual’s symptomatology, emphasises personal empowerment over pathologisation and promotes a symmetrical relationship between counsellor and client. Over 300 Afghanis were trained in this approach and qualified as psychosocial counselors and counselled over 10,000 clients in total. The work to date highlights the importance of designing long-term, applied training programmes which include self experience and qualitative supervision in psychosocial support provision.

Online service delivery is an alternative to face-to-face interventions for harmful alcohol use. However, little evidence evaluates its relative efficacy or the demographic characteristics of clients accessing these services. Archival demographic and treatment outcome data collected from 82 clients who undertook online or face-to-face extended brief interventions (EBI) were analysed. Measures included a pre-treatment Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and pre/post well-being and drinking behaviour measures. Clients in the online sample were on average younger, scored higher on the AUDIT, were in work/training more days a month and attended a greater number of sessions. After controlling for differences in treatment mode and age, online EBI led to greater increases in quality of life and fewer drinking days. Online EBI may provide an important alternate service delivery mode for harmful alcohol use, which may be accessed more frequently by younger and higher risk clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]