Mental health There are a lot of expectations for online therapy, but to the surprise of the research team, it does not reduce sick leave

Web-based Psychotherapy programs alone do not reduce sick leave, according to a review by the University of Helsinki.

Mental disorders are the most common cause of long sick leave. In addition to medication, psychotherapy is the cornerstone of basic treatment for these diseases.

For the review, a team of researchers led by the University of Helsinki collected all evidence on the impact of online therapy on sick leave in general mental illness. The final review resulted in 11 studies conducted in Western Europe in 2014–2019.

You survivedthat regardless of the diagnosis of mental health, online therapy did not reduce sick leave. That was surprising to the research team. The group assumed that an effect would be found.

According to experts, the result is very significant for occupational health, as there are many expectations for online therapies.

“Online therapies have been found to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression or anxiety, for example. They have even proven to be as effective as facial therapies. It turned out that this effect not only lasts until sick leave, ”says the professor Anne Kouvonen From the University of Helsinki.

According to him, it is essential to combine web-based cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy with other actions that support work and functional ability, such as lightening, adjusting or adapting work.

The responsibility for this lies with the employer, but also with the individual and occupational health, Kouvonen says.

“I would see that sick leave is a complex issue that cannot be directly addressed by online health care therapy alone.”