PILOT PROJECT:
Internet for psychological help and
public education.
Coordinator
- Vilma Kuzmienė, Psychologist Psychotherapist
Organization-
Psychological Consulting and Crisis Overcoming Center Gera Būsena
(Nonprofit Non-governmental Organization Gera Būsena )
Pilot Project implemented by the professionals of
Psychological Counseling and Crisis Overcoming Centre Gera Būsena
Reviewers:
1.
Raimundas Milašiūnas,
Chief Psychiatrist in Health Care Ministry of
Lithuanian Republic.
2.
Rimantas Kočiūnas, Associate Professor, Head of Clinical
and Social Psychology Department of Vilnius University.
The Project is aimed at the following:
To render psychological help to the inhabitants of Lithuania via Internet. To draw conclusions about the efficiency of such urgent primary psychological help in Lithuania.
The web page for public education and information.
In Lithuania, there are no reliable statistical researches about Internet consumers, their age, etc. Analysis of chat channels functioning at present in Internet obviously shows that teenagers and young- 16-26 year old- people form the main group of the consumers.
We carried out preliminary investigation of this age group. In random way young people were given questionnaires about their use of computer and Internet.
Conclusion of questionairing:
41, 5% of all the interrogated people consider that in case of critical situation the primary psychological support via Internet would be necessary and effective. 37% of all the interrogated people have doubts but that does not mean that they would not seek help in the critical situation.
21, 5% think that such help is necessary and efficient.
We tried to start giving consultations via Internet in one already functioning chat channel. People found the advertising in Internet and were able to seek help. This small experiment shows that psychological help via Internet is effective as a primary chain of the help. After the first talk via Internet, those young people visited a psychologist and now they get the necessary help (problems of those who addressed us – panic disorder and sociophobia – confirm one of our hypotheses that in the cases of such problems the primary psychological support could be especially helpful. Many people suffering from sociophobia avoid direct communication and are afraid to go to a psychologist. They need “an intermediate chain”).
Thus, Internet may serve as a positive form of co-operation, i.e. feedback is direct and immediate (I have in mind that an Internet consumer is continually effected by the information received via Internet, and by communicating with a psychologist via Internet, he/she both gets and gives feedback, and that is very positive).
After Pilot Project is over:
If the results of the Pilot Project will be evaluated positively, the project Psychological Help via Internet will be continued (“hot-line“ analogue).
The Start of the Project:
Realization of the project begin at 05.05.2000.
Psychological consulting will start when VirtualPsy chat will be created.
Support:
Open Society Fund in Lithuania ( Soros Fund)
Department of Clinical and Social Psychology of Vilnius University
Computing Center of Vilnius University
Join- stock- company Dangera