Evidence-based analysis of online therapy outcomes
Last updated: January 2025 | Medically reviewed
Multiple studies have found online therapy to be as effective as in-person therapy for many conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
A 2021 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found no significant difference in outcomes between online and face-to-face therapy for depression.
Online therapy has shown strong results for: depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder, OCD (especially with ERP), and PTSD.
Online therapy may be less effective for: severe mental illness requiring intensive treatment, active substance abuse crises, situations requiring immediate intervention.
BetterHelp reports that 98% of users made significant progress, while Brightside reports 86% of members achieve clinically significant improvement.