Research - CAPS

Online Therapy and its Efficacy in Pakistan

Impact:    
Online Therapy and its Application in Pakistan: Exploring Barriers and Recommendations to Improve Client & Therapist Experience. 

Therapist Experience:

Goal: The goal of the study is to investigate the application of online therapy in Pakistan. Teletherapy is now being widely used in Pakistan and in private practice as a primary mode of providing interventions for mental health. Alarmingly, this mode of delivering therapy which is being widely used has no research evidence to support its efficacy and effectiveness within the Pakistani context.

Impact:The impact of this study will help in understanding the barriers and facilitators currently impacting therapist practice and client experience, provision of online therapy can be improved which in consequence will be translated into positive treatment outcomes for clients.

The study will also assist in establishing an evidence base for alternative services other than face to face which can help in reducing the increased demand placed on university health and counselling services. Moreover, by understanding barriers and facilitators provision of online therapy services can be used to support a sizeable proportion of students who will not seek formal help for mental health issues due to barriers such as the stigma associated with professional support services and a preference for self-reliance and informal support. The study will have direct impact in improving standards in the delivery of mental health in Pakistan and improving user engagement with delivery of the therapy process.

Phase 1: Collection of data from counsellors and students across Pakistan is currently being carried out and in progress.

Participation: If you are interested in participating in our research projects and surveys, please send an email to student.counselling@lums.edu.pk