Navigating the Digital Therapist’s Couch
It is no secret that mental health problems have been on the rise, with 1.87 million people contacting NHS mental health services in 2023. The NHS has been struggling under the weight of staff shortages and budget cuts and the onslaught of patients seeking medical treatment has put further strain on the already suffering health system. BetterHelp, an online therapy platform founded in 2013, has now expanded in the UK with the promise of affordable therapies from "fully qualified online therapists".
The availability of such a service provides people with an alternative to the extreme waiting times of the NHS. However when one avails themselves of this service, the last thing to check would be the license held by the therapist. In a perfect world, the person employed by BetterHelp is vetted by the company itself however it seems that this must be done by the patients themselves.
In an article published by the Financial Times, it was reported that the therapists that BetterHelp has recruited in the UK are not "licensed, accredited professionals" unlike its American counterpart. The article then continues, explaining that the therapists who have joined the platform have reported that they are being underpaid in proportion to the time they must invest in the platform.
Additionally, issues like contact hours and access to emergency contact details were brought up. The employee sentiment can be seen on platforms such as Indeed where the company was rated at 3.2. The Federal Trade Comission has also taken BetterHelp to court over privacy concerns – alleging that the company has sold patient information to companies such as Facebook and Snapchat amongst others. In light of these controversies, one shouldn’t ignore the positive outcomes others have experienced.
There have been service users who were helped by BetterHelp – for example, a blogger by the name of Silvia detailed how the platform was able to connect her to a therapist that she felt comfortable speaking to and helped her through her struggles. Additionally, it has a 4.5 rating on Trustpilot, a testament to the sentiment of its service users. Of course, there are negative reviews, but nothing is perfect. BetterHelp itself has referenced a 2018 journal article in which researchers found that internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy had significantly helped the treatment group in comparison with the control group.
The option to access healthcare through various means is invaluable to service users. It gives them agency over their treatment however one has to weigh the benefits and limitations of the service they seek to access. Some people have found that BetterHelp has helped whilst others do not endorse its usage. At the end of the day, it is up to individual preferences.
