Online therapy boom has mainly benefited privileged groups, studies find

The increase in psychotherapy has occurred among groups that already enjoyed more access: people in higher-income brackets, living in cities, with steady employment and more education, researchers found in a series of studies, the most recent of which was published last week in The American Journal Of Psychiatry. — Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

The number of Americans receiving psychotherapy increased by 30% during the pandemic, as virtual sessions replaced in-person appointments – but new research dampens the hope that technology will make mental health care more available to the neediest populations.

In fact, the researchers found, the shift to teletherapy has exacerbated existing disparities.