Internet-based Mental Health Services in Norway and Sweden: Characteristics and Consequences
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Internet-based Mental Health Services in Norway and Sweden: Characteristics and Consequences Anders Johan W. Andersen • Tommy Svensson
Published online: 23 November 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011
Abstract Internet-based mental health services increase rapidly. However, national surveys are incomplete and the consequences for such services are poorly discussed. This study describes characteristics of 60 Internet-based mental health services in Norway and Sweden and discusses their social consequences. More than half of the services were offered by voluntary organisations and targeted towards young people. Professionals answered service users’ questions in 60% of the services. Eight major themes were identified. These characteristics may indicate a shift in the delivery of mental health services in both countries, and imply changes in the understanding of mental health. Keywords Internet-based services Mental health E-mail Voluntary organisations Governmentality
This is an original paper. The total results from this study have not been published previously in print or electronic format. Some preliminary results from the study were presented at a meeting in University of Pisa, Italy in 2009, and at the University of Agder, Norway in 2010. The paper is exclusively submitted for Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. A. J. W. Andersen (&) Department of Psychosocial Health, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Box 509, 4898 Grimstad, Norway e-mail: [email protected] T. Svensson Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden T. Svensson Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linko¨ping University, Linko¨ping, Sweden
Introduction The demand for Internet-based mental health services has increased dramatically. Researchers argue that the Internet can change the way people seek and get help (Griffiths et al. 2006; Ybarra and Eaton 2005). Accessible by the general public, several websites offer various services (e.g., therapy, counseling, self-help, peer-support, information) in various ways, including discussion forums, chats, support groups, and e-mail and with various means of connecting with persons in the services (e.g., professionals, laypeople). It is, indeed, a heterogeneous field, and the research literature currently fails to distinguish between the different kinds of services. Several studies have investigated this field. A majority explored e-therapy (Alemi et al. 2007; Heinlen et al. 2003; Postel et al. 2008; Recupero and Rainey 2006), and most describe experiences with cognitive behavioral therapy (Andersson et al. 2008; Burns et al. 2007; Christensen et al. 2004; Griffiths and Christensen 2006; March 2009; Przeworski and Newman 2006). Some report that women use such services more frequently than men (Cook and Doyle 2002; Griffiths et al. 2006; Hall and Tidwell 2003), and others report a higher frequency of male users (Heinlen et al. 2003). Thayer and Ray (2006) determined no signifi
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