Online psychotherapy in times of pandemic: Cognitive-behavioral intervention in Colombian patients with depression

ABSTRACT

Mood disorders represent an important category in the classification manuals of mental disorders, particularly, depression is classified as a disease of the world population. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has reported a greater psychological impact that triggers the vulnerability of people with symptoms and requires care alternatives that facilitate access to professional mental health services. This article focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of online care and intervention in patients diagnosed with symptoms of depression and anxiety. For this, the research has been carried out from a bimodal approach, in which the analysis of a single case and the objective evaluation of the symptoms of depression and anxiety were combined in four patients residing in the metropolitan area of the city of Medellin, Colombia. The results show the efficacy of cognitive behavioral intervention under online modality and the remission of symptoms. It is concluded that online psychotherapy is consolidated as a process that provides increasingly comprehensive tools for the world population. In addition, cognitive psychotherapy advances intervention techniques that are very useful in these pandemic settings. © 2021