A lot of things about 2020 were unpredictable. However, once it was clear that the Covid-19 pandemic would lead to restrictions on movement, and self-isolation for some, it was all too predictable that we would see a mental health crisis. Back in December, a The New York Times contributor labelled it as the unseen "Fourth Wave" in the pandemic. The article lamented, among other things, that then-President-elect Joe Biden did not have any mental health experts on his much-celebrated Covid-19 task force. A big miss, given that mental health is one of the big issues the country will have to deal with if and when normality returns. 

But the Times' piece also pointed to something encouraging: Namely, that therapists were very quick to switch to online back in the early spring. The ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) reported this as early as April 1st. Mental health professionals of all types were offering their services online, and not a moment too soon. One study showed that there was a 124% rise in searches for online counselling year on year in June 2020. 

Online therapy was growing before pandemic 

Of course, a burgeoning industry for online therapy services already existed before the pandemic, and it's something that was predicted to expand long before we heard of Covid-19. In fact, the idea of telepsychology has existed in some form for a couple of decades, even if it meant simply picking up the phone. But it was in the 2010s that we saw the first real move to online therapy. Back in 2017, the APA (American Psychological Association) called it a "growing wave". The benefits for the patients are clear, as it provides ease of access, and therapists, too, have a chance to expand their business by reaching a larger pool of clients. 

But while online therapy might be a lifeline for those isolated during the pandemic, it has a place beyond a world battling Covid-19. The key question is to ask whether the accessibility that online therapy offers is also backed up with quality. Some of the most comprehensive studies, which were later picked up by Inc.com, gave the thumbs up, stating that it was just as effective as in-person treatment. Indeed, some experts argue that online therapy can be more effective, given the client can be treated in surroundings they feel comfortable in, i.e., their own home. Of course, we must give the caveat that mental health is complex, and online services certainly wouldn't work for everyone. 

Pandemic is a catalyst 

Great - and we use the word in the sense of historic and momentous, not wonderful - events tend to shine a light on society, showing what changes have to be made. The Second World War, for example, led directly to the creation of the UN, IMF, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and several other important movements. We don't know exactly what the pandemic will lead to when the dust settles, but you can be sure that there will be a lasting legacy that will go beyond how we think about viruses.  

And yet, momentous events also act as catalysts for changes that would have been inevitable regardless. Online therapy feels like it falls into that category. The industry would have grown without the pandemic, but the outbreak has accelerated it. In short, there was already a mental health crisis before the pandemic, and online therapy is one of the keys to solving it. 

More efficient and cheaper 

That piece in the New York Times earlier mused that it takes years to train therapists, so it is often too late when a crisis is recognized. However, studies have shown that online therapy is much more efficient, with patients requiring up to 7.8 times less of the therapist. Therefore, those who are trained to deliver the services can take on many more clients than before. Of course, market forces also make it cheaper. We should also note that there is more to the idea of online therapy than simply putting clients on a zoom call with therapists. It's been reported by Tech Times, for example, how VR therapy is working to help with mental health. 

But online therapy's reach should be viewed as something that goes beyond treating loneliness in rich countries during the pandemic. It has been touted as a solution to mental health services access in poorer regions of the world, especially in places where in-person services are limited or hard to reach. The pandemic will have shown many therapists and medical businesses that the internet gives us the capacity to reach more people - faster and cheaper. It's a good bet those online services will stay in place - and grow - long after the pandemic has gone.