Online emotional support delivered by trained volunteers: users’ satisfaction and their perception of the service compared to psychotherapy

Abstract

Background: Technology could answer the substantial need in human resources available for supporting those who suffer from mental illness, by providing scalable methods to train and engage non-professionals to those who need their support. 7 Cups of Tea (7COT) platform was chosen for this study, because it provides a good case study for examining this kind of solution.

Aim: The aim of this paper was to provide empirical findings regarding users’ satisfaction with online emotional support provided by trained volunteers and how it is perceived in comparison to psychotherapy.

Methods: An online survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 7COT users.

Results: The findings showed high user satisfaction with the support provided by 7COT listeners and, on average, users who indicated to receive psychotherapy in their past marked the listeners’ support to be as helpful as psychotherapy. Relating to psychotherapy and online emotional support advantages, different advantages were found. The findings suggest that receiving support from volunteers makes users feel that the support is more genuine.

Conclusion: The paper provides preliminary evidence that people in emotional distress may find non-professionals support delivered through the use of technology to be helpful. Limitations and implications are discussed.

• Emotional support
• mental health
• non-professionals
• online
• peer support
• psychotherapy
• technology
• volunteers

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.