Impact of COVID-19 on the use of online mental health services among adults in Riyadh: a cross-sectional study

R.M. Alhalawany, R.M. Alfaifi, R.Y. Alzahrani, F.Y. Alshehri, D.A. Alfaris, M.M. Taha

Clinical Psychology, Health Sciences Department, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. momtaha@pnu.edu.sa

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• Infectious Diseases
• Psychology

OBJECTIVE: Online therapies are licensed online programs designed to aid the use of psychotherapy via the Internet or mobile phone applications by providing effective treatments through digital communication. The number of individuals seeking online therapy has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the use of online mental health services among Saudi adults in Riyadh.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The research design was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The data collection tool was an online survey distributed through social media and email. The survey consisted of two parts: a sociodemographic questionnaire and the e-Therapy Attitudes and Process (eTAP). A total of four hundred participants have completed the survey.

RESULTS: Most of the respondents had used online therapy for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most of the users had a relatively positive experience with online interventions for mental health services.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed that COVID-19 had an impact on the use of online therapy, as it caused an increase in the number of users of these services, and most of the users have found online therapy to be helpful.

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