Online psychological counselling means young people get help faster

The treatment Johanne-Kristine Mortensen received at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic (BUP) at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) has had a major impact on her mental health.

- "It has had a lot to say, everything to say. There's something about learning strategies for dealing with stress. I've also found a lot of use for that afterwards," says Mortensen.

In high school, she needed help to get through the challenges of major changes and transitions in her life.

At BUP in Tromsø, they offer digital treatment for children and adolescents. The aim is to make the treatment available to as many people as possible. And to give young people a sense of ownership of the method.

- This increases motivation and allows us to get those who need help even earlier," says Senior Consultant Judson Joseph at BUP in Tromsø.

Customised treatment

Mortensen's therapist was able to adapt to her schedule. She also lived close to the treatment centre. This made it easier for her to fit psychology classes into an otherwise busy schedule.

- "It's not like that for everyone. And for those who live in rural areas, getting to treatment can be a day-long project," says Mortensen.

Lene Danielsen is a former head of section at BUP in Tromsø. She says that the digital programme has made treatment more accessible for young people who live far away.

- "When the travelling distance disappears, it becomes more attractive to get treatment," she explains.

The programme was launched in 2017. Since then, there has been a large increase in the number of people receiving digital treatment.

- "It has decreased slightly compared to what we saw at the start of the pandemic, but there is still a large proportion receiving digital treatment," says Lene Danielsen.

Especially good for boys

Judson Joseph at BUP is clear that digital treatment does not suit everyone, but has seen that boys more often have breakthroughs when treatment is done through a screen.

- "The healthcare system is really geared towards men and boys because we're not used to talking about emotions," he explains.

According to Joseph, having a digital service can help to de-harmonise the idea of therapy.

He goes on to explain that eye contact is something that is difficult for many people, and that the ability to switch off the camera can lead to breakthroughs.

- "It allows you to feel protected. They know I don't see them, but they see me. It allows them to see my reactions and become more confident in me," says Joseph.

- As safe as online banking

Asbjørn J. Fagerlund is a specialist psychologist and researcher at the National Centre for E-health Research. He says that it is basically safe to carry out treatment digitally.

- "I like to think that if it's safe to do banking services online, then it's generally safe to do other services online," he says.
Fagerlund says that there should be no risk of personal information going astray, as long as a solution is used through existing healthcare services. One example is that Helsenorge is used to arrange the video call.

According to both Fagerlund and Joseph, there is nothing to suggest that one-to-one treatment becomes less effective if it is conducted digitally.

However, there are several factors that must be taken into account if a patient is to be offered digital treatment.

- It is important that the patient enjoys this type of treatment. In addition, the therapist must take into account factors such as whether the patient is alone during the treatment and that the person is not under pressure from relatives or boyfriends," says the psychology specialist.

Not for everyone

Johanne-Kristine Mortensen was offered digital treatment, but chose to decline.

- "For me, the physical part of the treatment was important, so I realised that it wasn't for me," she says.

NRK: Published 9 Feb 22.