Why is online counselling attractive to people concerned about an alcohol, drug or gambling problem?

August 2011Simone Rodda

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Was there anything else different about your lifestyle then?

It doesn’t have the same effect it used to, but I guess that’s because of a tolerance I have formed maybe..

It sounds like you’ve had some success stopping in the past

I studied harder at uni.. Maybe went out a little more. But having no access was definitely the big one.

Now uni has gone downhill, I don’t go out anymore

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Website visitsCounselling Online & Gambling Help Online

Counselling Online Gambling Help Online

2006/2007 33,694 -

2007/2008 29,565 -

2008/2009 54,323 -

2009/2010 67,619 12,853

2010/2011 58,838 60,729

Total Visits 127,151 73,582

Real time chat sessions providedCounselling Online & Gambling Help Online

Real time chat and email: GenderCounselling Online & Gambling Help Online

Online CounsellingResearch and evidence base

Accessibility Availability (convenience, time, location) (Rockloff & Schofield, 2004) AOD CounsellingOnline highest demand after-hours (Swan &

Tyssen, 2009) and a higher proportion of regional service users Eating disorders group: 2/3 of posts b/w 6pm-7am. (Shernoff, 2000)

Anonymity Shame and stigma – gamblers use of online forums (Cooper, 2004) Lack of visual cues offset by anonymity (Leibert et al., 2006) I use online so the counsellors can’t hear me crying (Beatie, 2006)

Therapeutic Alliance Depth and smoothness = helpfulness (Barak & Bloch, 2006) Faster immersion into the counselling process, more likely to self-

disclose (Lewis et al., 2004)

Real time chat: Time of ContactCounselling Online & Gambling Help Online

Based on 2009/10 Annual Report

Real time chat: Age of ContactCounselling Online & Gambling Help Online

Based on 2009/10 Annual Report

Online CounsellingResearch and evidence base

Accessibility Availability (convenience, time, location) (Rockloff & Schofield, 2004) AOD CounsellingOnline highest demand after-hours (Swan &

Tyssen, 2009) and a higher proportion of regional service users Eating disorders group: 2/3 of posts b/w 6pm-7am. (Shernoff, 2000)

Anonymity Shame and stigma – gamblers use of online forums (Cooper, 2004) Lack of visual cues offset by anonymity (Leibert et al., 2006) I use online so the counsellors can’t hear me crying (Beatie, 2006)

Therapeutic Alliance Depth and smoothness = helpfulness (Barak & Bloch, 2006) Faster immersion into the counselling process, more likely to self-

disclose (Lewis et al., 2004)

Real time chat: Anonymous?Counselling Online & Gambling Help Online

Based on 2009/10 Annual Report

Why clients recommend online counselling (GHO: ARTD External Evaluation 2010)

Because it helped me (24 comments) It’s confidential, you can be anonymous (15

comments) It’s a good place to start, an easy first step (16 comments) You can talk to someone immediately (5 comments) It helps you be honest about your problem (7 comments) You can write or say what you think freely (4 comments) You can go at your own pace (1 comment) It’s convenient, easy to access, easy to use (5 comments) Good way of learning about resources, other ways of finding

help (4 comments) You can transition to face to face if you need to (3 comments)

Gambling Help Online: Treatment seeking – Gamblers only (n=458)

Online CounsellingResearch and evidence base

Accessibility Availability (convenience, time, location) (Rockloff & Schofield, 2004) AOD CounsellingOnline highest demand after-hours (Swan &

Tyssen, 2009) and a higher proportion of regional service users Eating disorders group: 2/3 of posts b/w 6pm-7am. (Shernoff, 2000)

Anonymity Shame and stigma – gamblers use of online forums (Cooper, 2004) Lack of visual cues offset by anonymity (Leibert et al., 2006) I use online so the counsellors can’t hear me crying (Beatie, 2006)

Therapeutic Alliance Depth and smoothness = helpfulness (Barak & Bloch, 2006) Faster immersion into the counselling process, more likely to self-

disclose (Lewis et al., 2004)

Why clients recommend online counselling (GHO: ARTD External Evaluation 2010)

Because it helped me (24 comments) It’s a good place to start, an easy first step (16 comments) It’s confidential, you can be anonymous (15 comments) You can talk to someone immediately (5 comments) It’s convenient, easy to access, easy to use (5 comments) It helps you be honest about your problem (7 comments) You can write or say what you think freely (4 comments) You can go at your own pace (1 comment) Good way of learning about resources, other ways of finding

help (4 comments) You can transition to face to face if you need to (3 comments)

Gambling Help Online: Previous treatment seeking (n=148)

Gambling Help Online: Preferred mode of help seeking: age by gender (n=87)

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an intervention?

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