Yaşam Becerileri Psikoloji Dergisi (Nov 2019)
Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy in The Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Abstract
The increased acceptance of internet as a common social tool, allows the internet to be used as a tool in psychological care. The continuous change and development of the area of online communication has made it easier to access online training opportunities for mental health professionals, increased the use of computers for therapeutic interventions. When we look to the internet-based therapeutic interventions, they can also be provided in different formats, as well as in face-to-face therapy. Web pages, self-help materials, robotic-softwares, virtual-applications and therapist-assisted online psychotherapy applications provided via e-mail, video-calls and telephone in various conditions are used for Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT). In this study, intervention methods, ethical principles and effectiveness of iCBT interventions effectiveness and pros and cons are discussed in Anxiety Disorders (Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia). In this context, traditional face-to-face CBT interventions and iCBT interventions are compared in the scope of the research. According to this review; iCBT applications, has shown a widespread increasing in the use of treatment of social anxiety disorder, panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia), anxiety disorder and specific phobia. Internet-based, therapist-assisted CBT applications and therapist-assisted group practices are considered to be the recent term alternative of traditional face-to-face therapies in the treatment of anxiety disorders. In this review, evidence-based iCBT intervention, which is effective and acceptable an innovative method, has the potential to spread rapidly throughout the world because of being accessible to many people who cannot receive psychological services and being cost effective.
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