eTherapyPro | Online Therapy Chat | Online Therapy

Rural or Remote Populations and Online Therapy

Anxiety

The information age has given us many ways to connect and stay connected with one another. Social media and the ease of instant communication wherever we are has given us unprecedented abilities to talk with one another. It has given us access to many thing, including healthcare. For people in rural or remote areas, having access to proper healthcare has been limited, and they would have to drive for hours to get to a doctor or therapist. This is not the case anymore.

The majority of the U.S population has access to the internet at home or at work. On average almost ¾ of the nation has access to the internet, with almost 70% having broadband connection in their home. And with smartphones, most of the country has access to the internet and online services in the palm of their hand.

This does unfortunately break down when it comes to poor, rural or remote areas of the nation. Here the percentage of people who have internet access drops to just about half, from three-quarters. It also cuts broadband or high-speed internet access as well, which is an inherent limitation to many internet sites, as well as being able to communicate online via video streaming.

This gets balanced out, however, by opening counseling to people that are not able to make it in to an office setting for a variety of reasons. Distance is a serious limitation, as well as the time it would take to get to a counseling appointment in another city, another county or another side of the state. The time needed to go for an hour session could be longer than the session itself for many in a rural population. It also helps those with health or mobility issues, that limits how much time they can be away from home or moving around. In short, this brings therapy to many people who need it.

Online counseling and therapy also gives people more options for counselors, that are not present for those in rural areas. There simply are not many counselors in a rural area, and if you do not want to see that person for any reason, you are stuck. Or if they cannot see you, they may not be seeing new clients or cannot meet on the only day you are free, this gives you options.

One final consideration for the use of online counseling is that it gives people in a rural area a better sense of privacy when they are talking to a therapist. Realistically, people in a small town know each other’s business, whether you want it to be so or not. If you do not want others to know you need to talk to someone about your anxiety, your past or for whatever reason, online counseling can give you that security you need.

Online counseling, especially in rural or remote areas, can give people the hope and help that they need, without traveling hours at a time. Although there are many limitations in rural areas, therapy online can give people the best chance they can at getting help and healing.

 

If you have been experiencing Depression please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

Free Trial

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

Can Genetics be a Major Cause of Depression?

Cause of Depression

December 08, 2020

In the past generation, no disease or disorder has gained as much traction and recognition as depression. Depression is officially one of the most widely recognized mental disorders in the world and is the most common mental disorder in the world as everyone between the ages of 18 to 30 experiences it at least once in their life.

Although depression is one of the most infamous mental disorders currently known to man, scientists have yet to find a specific cause for depression. Yet they have found that there are a multitude of factors that can affect depression. While factors like traumatic incidents or chemical composition in the brain are two of the most obvious factors that cause depression, one that people do not usually consider is genetics.

Depression resembles other diseases in many ways, there are certain triggers for the illness or disorder, then there are symptoms of the illness, after which begins the diagnosis and then treatment. Since scientists observed that depression, in many ways, is like any common illness, they saw the possibility that depression can be a genetically transferable disease. To their surprise depression is very capable of spreading from parents onto the children or can run through the family.

A review by Jonathan Flint and Kenneth S. Kendler sought out the scientific evidence as to whether depression can be linked to genetics. The scientists found that most studies completed in the early 2000s saw that the heritability of depression lay somewhere in 37 – 45%. All of the studies that both these scientists reviewed were the result of twin studies.

The review performed by Jonathan Flint and Kenneth S. Kendler proved that there is a possibility that children may inherit depression from their parents. Their review also showed that women are more susceptible to inheriting depression from their parents rather than men.

The results of the tests performed in the study that the scientists reviewed showed that women were nearly 40% more likely to inherit depression as opposed to men who are only 30% likely to inherit depressive symptoms.

Thanks to the review performed by scientists Jonathan Flint and Kenneth S. Kendler, not only does the theory of genetic transfer of depression seem to be true, we now know that inheritability also differs between different sexes. Genetics is a very viable cause for depression and you can also be a victim of depression if it happens to run in your family.

 

If you have been experiencing depression please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

Free Trial

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.