A Teletherapy Startup Removes Barriers To Mental Health Care 102
waderoush writes "Is the digital age sending the old therapist's couch the way of the reference librarian, the CD, and the travel agent? Could be: several recent studies have found that therapy via the Internet is just as effective as face-to-face treatment. But it's taken online therapy startup Breakthrough about four years to convince venture investors and insurance companies that online therapy can remove many of the road blocks to mental health care, including the high cost, the social stigma, and the difficulty of access. So far, Breakthrough has partnered with 100 licensed psychiatrists and psychologists in Texas, California, Virginia, and Maryland; every provider on the site has a profile and a welcome video that allows potential clients to evaluate them before they even talk online. 'Now we have greater research supporting telemedicine, and people are more comfortable digitally,' says co-founder and CEO Mark Goldenson. 'I think the market is ready for it.'"
I'm surprised this didn't catch on sooner. (Score:4, Insightful)
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Sometimes you don't want your family to hear what you have to say to an objective third party for your mental health, I guess?
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Talk about information ripe for blackmail.
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Re:I'm surprised this didn't catch on sooner. (Score:4, Insightful)
And a lot of the people that would get help don't because getting therapy involves talking to their doctor about it, then booking an appointment, then leaving their house and interacting with the outside world.
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Re:I'm surprised this didn't catch on sooner. (Score:5, Funny)
Bartenders are the best therapists.
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They are technically psychologists, as they can administer the medication themselves. =)
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Psychiatrists prescribe medicine, not psychologists.
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I read that as "the only job you can get with a psychology degree is bartending"
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Psychiatrists prescribe medicine, not psychologists.
I guess you've never played "Hi Bob!" then.
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Psychiatrists prescribe medicine, not psychologists.
Well, that's good. I can't see going to CVS and saying, "I've got a scrip here for one psychologist. Is it ready for pickup yet?"
This post brought to you by the Missing Comma Corporation. "Let's eat [,] Grandpa."
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Because a lot of the benefit of therapy is making you leave the house and actually interact with the outside world. This just reenforces those with problems doing so to stay agoraphobic and not develop skills to deal with externalities
But it's also the perfect solution for us schizoids!
Re:I'm surprised this didn't catch on sooner. (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re: I'm surprised this didn't catch on sooner. (Score:1)
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It already is a thing in places like Canada and has been for a while. I've done a number of setups for telehealth; the doc sits in a normal little office a couple days a week and sees clients up in the more remote parts of the province where getting around means plane or helicopter.
They do simple stuff too, like "Man, why is my nose bleeding so much?" You just call a nurse and chat for a bit, get a feel for if you should do something simple, or head off to the emergency room at 3am.
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NSA has your theraphy sessions. It's true that face to face your therapist might hide a tape recorder, but online? No matter what, there will be that feeling it's being logged. Most chat/instant messengers allow for a logging option. NSA will certainly be logging these.
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Seriously, why the hell hasn't this already been a thing? I regularly engage in therapy, 99% of it is just discussion. Very little, if any, would be unable to be reproduced digitally.
Then you are going to a worthless therapist. Most therapy is what you what you do the rest of the time. The time with the doctor is to diagnose and come up with things to work on, such as strategies to avoid triggers, introspection about relationships, changing attitudes and reactions, etc. You have to work at it. The doctor does not make you better. Only you can do that. I wish there were some screws in the back of my head that could be adjusted, but it doesn't work like that.
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This has been going on for years, just not 'liscenced' like this is. My mother for example, after my father died, joined an IRC channel for support of people who have lost loved ones to Cancer. She ended up becoming a major person to the group and helped many people through what she had to deal with, while getting help herself for her own issues from the loss of my father
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There can be a problems with this, especially with tele/web-based/distance therapy. The resources to intervene within a crisis environment do not exist. For example, if someone is suicidal or homicidal, how does one intervene appropriately? What if a patient/client in a tough situation (ie divorice) and their coping skills are less than adequate, and they just terminate the session after stating "they hate their spouse. There is no way to ensure that the patient is safe. Even a 911 call to the police for a
Tell me about... (Score:3)
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xD
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That takes me back. There was a talking parrot that went along with this.
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Oh man, that brings back memories.
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Is there an IRC version?
Anyone else... (Score:5, Funny)
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That would be cool. I could sit with Deanna Troy all day.
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Shed smack me.
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I'd picture her picking up on our horny thoughts and leaving a puddle in her chair
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That's Commander Cameltoe to you!
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Always called her Miss Perky.
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. . . but she didn't rack up compared to Voyager's "38-of-D" . . .
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"...a Telepathy-based start-up for addressing mental health issues..."
I see Lucy sitting at her booth with her "The Doctor Is [IN] Your Head" sign, and begin to hyperventilate.
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Yes. And at the same time, I was wondering how they got the government and insurance companies to take them seriously as medical doctors.
In retrospect, the answer would have been blatantly obvious,
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yes :)
Incoming Snark! (Score:4, Funny)
Yay! Now I won't have to leave the basement to get my prescription for my social anxiety! Thank you internet!
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Historically, the flying machine has just been a stupid pipe dream. We shouldn't even try building one.
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Historically, the flying machine has just been a stupid pipe dream. We shouldn't even try building one.
You sir, are awarded the Internet for today. That was a concise and utterly brilliant response. Alas, all I have to offer you are my congratulations.
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For electroshock, a stunt plane. It's built for one specific rare job, which it does pretty decently, but it's absolutely the wrong tool for every other job. In fact, treating it as the solution to everything will have disastrous, if not lethal, results.
For phrenology, the Spruce Goose. It made it big, but was utterly unsuccessful, and existed solely on the hope that it would work.
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Therapists can't prescribe drugs, you have to go to a psychiatrist for that. Psychiatrists center around diagnosing mental problems and prescribing appropriate care, therapists are about talking problems out.
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several recent studies have found that therapy via the Internet is just as effective as face-to-face treatment.
In other words, not generally effective at all?
[citation needed]
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I don't know about therapy in general, but I did find some interesting material [google.com] about pseudoscience in mental health.
Anecdotally, my parents sent me to a child psychologist when I was about 8, presumably because I wasn't handling their divorce the way they expected (I wasn't bothered by it because I knew everyone would be happier that way, which is apparently considered quite an odd attitude for a kid that age)... While I question the validity of sending a rather well-adjusted kid to such a professional, it
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That's quite a claim! Can you back it up?
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http://www.ladailypost.com/content/brief-history-psychotropic-drugs-prescribed-mass-murderers [ladailypost.com]
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To quote Steve Wozniak. . . (Score:2)
Oh, hey. Nice virtual presence device.
Wowzers... (Score:1)
I totally read that as "Telepathy Startup".
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I also see great value for those that aren't to that point yet.
And in the case of bipolar, the bad days where you're too depressed to leave the bed, let alone the house.
Confidentiality (Score:5, Insightful)
Unfortunately no therapy transacted over the internet or the telephone system can, these days, be said to abide by the confidentiality agreement the therapist is supposed to abide by.
Hmmm... (Score:2)
Next up, if only nutcases have privacy, then terrorists will all become nutcases... oh, wait.
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I love the comment, great to bring it up, but it's slightly hyperbolic. NSA haven't broken encryption (that we know of).
- They have access to all communicated data, but only the ciphertext if it's encrypted. This means that they can know when you "went to" the psychiatrist on line. The authorities could already learn this from security cameras and cops. It would be easier, though, to search for people with mental problems and to answer whether a given suspect has had therapy.
- SSL security may be circumvent
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Unfortunately no therapy transacted over the internet or the telephone system can, these days, be said to abide by the confidentiality agreement the therapist is supposed to abide by.
What confidentiality agreement?
When Monica Lewinsky's therapist handed over her therapy notes to Kenneth Starr, that was the end of client-therapist confidentiality in the U.S.
HIPAA explicitly allows therapists to disclose information for law enforcement purposes.
Covered entities may disclose protected health information to law enforcement officials for law enforcement purposes as required by law (including court orders, court-ordered warrants, subpoenas) and administrative requests; or to identify or locat
Thanks for this submission (Score:2)
I have family members that will find this very interesting; finding competent local mental health professionals has been difficult for a couple of them.
Thank you Slashdot.
States Still Want Their Cut (Score:2)
Psychedelic psychotherapy as well? (Score:2)
Psychedelic psychotherapy is an interesting new field... combining it with online therapy might make for some interesting experiences!
(honestly yes, I am joking... please don't take that as a serious suggestion)
Internet is just as effective as face to face (Score:3)
therapy via the Internet is just as effective as face-to-face treatment
Meaning, it still isn't very effective... but at least it is cheaper. Why not give it a try?
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It is effective provided you find the right therapist which is a needle in a haystack.
Dont go by recommendations, a therapist who seems great for someone may suck for you.
You can call mental health patients LUCKY when they find a therapist that doesn't suck.
Is this because most therapists are bad at their jobs, or is it more that we have no good process to match patients with the type of care they need? (or both)
NSA screws up this idea... (Score:3)
Cleverbot (Score:2)
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I looked up a better definition of hebephilia and Ephebophilia and your comment walks a fine line. The definition of both requires a strong preference for the respective developmental stage, not just an occasional thought. I have to wonder with the vagary in the definition of hebephilia if it includes what should be ephebophilia in the stats. The latter includes legal girls, and there are plenty that fit in the hebephilia age range that have all the biological cues as the technically legal ones.
In conclu
Please go on... (Score:1)
How do you feel about that?
Yay! Internet snuff films! (Score:2)
So when some poor nutjob calls their shrink and then offs themselves LIVE ON VIDEO OVER THE INTERNET, it'll take even LESS time for it to hit the sharing sites!
Screen Process (Score:1)
- Eddy
This is somewhat obvious. (Score:1)
I will postulate that online therapy is less intimidating then face to face therapy and therefore, more productive. In the future I will try to post something that is more controversial, I promise.
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In the future I will try to post something that is more controversial, I promise.
I have a phobia of using the internets, you insensitive clod!
Just reading my post I am surprised you have. (Score:1)
In other words is absolutely useless .. (Score:1)
Recent studies have also shown that cyber-sex is just as effective as getting your girl friend to sit-on-your-face