IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Pseudo-science Versus Evidence-based Science: Emergence of Online Therapy by Unqualified People


Affiliations
1 Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India
2 Department of Psychology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


A marked increase in the use of social media put a large number of people at risk of feeling lonely, depressed, and anxious. Ordinary people, influencers and therapists have become mental health advocates with instant messaging, quick posts, uplifting thoughts and advice for their followers. The information presented may leave viewers feeling further traumatized or confused. The rationale behind studying this topic was to study the impact of fake influencers on social media on mental health of adults in the context of India. This study tries to focus on the gaps in the literature available on the topic and tries to find the impacts, and effective ways to identify and tackle this quackery. The methodology used was a qualitative analysis of primary data gathered from online semi-structured interviews. Interviews of two mental health professionals and three people from the field of tarot card reading, graphology and online counselling with a short diploma course for therapy and counselling were taken. In addition, a book titled 'Shamans, Mystics and Doctors- APsychological Inquiry into India and Its Healing Traditions' by Sudhir Kakar was taken as secondary data. The results identify the causes of growth in pseudoscientific practices, analyses the impact and provide recommendations to tackle the same. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and broader implications. This is a qualitative study and thus has individual opinions and thought processes about the topic. It may be ridden with systematic biases, even though it's important to study it.

Keywords

online therapy, social media, mental health, quackery, pseudoscience
User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Adolescent & young adult health (2021, January 18). www.Who.Int. https://www. who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescents-health-risks-and-solutions

  • American Psychiatric Association (2020). Psychiatrists use of telepsychiatry during COVID-19 public health emergency: Policy recommendations. Published.

  • Asmundson, G.J.G., & Taylor, S. (2020). Coronaphobia revisited: A state-of-the-art on pandemic-related fear, anxiety, and stress. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 76, 102326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102326

  • Ways to Stop Self-Loathing & Start Loving Yourself (2022, February 16). Retrieved June 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/ways-to-stop-self-hatred-4164280

  • Beeb, J. (1985). A tarot reading on the possibility of nuclear war. Psychological Perspectives: A Quarterly Journal of Jungian Thought, 16(1), 97. Doi:10.1080/003 22928508407948.

  • BMC Rheumatology | Home (n.d.). Retrieved May 2022, from https://bmcrheumato l.biomedcentral.com

  • Chou, H.T.G., & Edge, N. (2012). They are happier and having better lives than I am: The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others' lives. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(2), 117-121. doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0324

  • Darnton, R. (1968). Mesmerism and the end of the enlightenment in France. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

  • Fasce, A. (2018, June 5). Divan couches and gurus: The origin and dangers of clinical pseudopsychology. Fasce Metode Science Studies Journal, 8, 165-171. Retrieved April 2022, from https://ojs.uv.es/index.php/Metode/article/view/9977

  • Graphology-Wikipedia (2022, March 1). Retrieved June 2022, from https://en.wikipe dia.org/wiki/Graphology

  • Hansson, S.O. (2008). Science and pseudoscience. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, Section 2: The "science" of pseudoscience, archived from the original on 6 September 2008, retrieved 8 April 2009.

  • Kakar (n.d.). Shamans, mystics and doctors: A psychological inquiry into india and its healing traditions. Publication date.

  • Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., & Lohr, J. M. (2015). Science and pseudoscience in clinical psychology: Initial thoughts, reflections, and considerations. In S. O. Lilienfeld, S. J.

  • Lynn, and J. M. Lohr (Eds.), Science and pseudoscience in clinical psychology (pp.1-16). The Guilford Press.

  • Lin, L.Y., Sidani, J.E., Shensa, A., Radovic, A., Miller, E., Colditz, J.B., & Primack, B.A.(2016). Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults. Depress Anxiety, 33(4), 323-331. doi:10.1002/da.22466.

  • Oxford Learner's Dictionaries | Find definitions, translations, & grammar explanations at Oxford Learner's Dictionaries (n.d.). Retrieved June 2022, from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/

  • Prati, G., & Mancini, A.D. (2021). The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns: A review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and natural experiments. Psychological Medicine, 51(2), 201-211. https://doi.org/10.1017/S 0033291721000015

  • Prabhakararao, S. (2016). Overuse of social media affects the mental health of adolescents and early youth. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 3(2), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.25215/0302.135

  • Singer, M., & Lalich, J. (1996). Crazy therapies: What are they? Do they work? New Jersey: Jossey-Bass

  • Singh, S., Roy, D., Sinha, K., Parveen, S., Sharma, G., & Joshi, G. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations. Psychiatry Research, 293, 113429. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113429

  • Singh, M.M., Amiri, M., & Sabbarwal, S. (2017). Social media usage positive and negative effects on the life style of indian youth. Iranian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 5(3), 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abst ract=3419551

  • Subedar, J. D., & Dunbar, A. (2021, November 5). Mental health: Unqualified therapists exploiting vulnerable patients. BBC News. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-59162715

  • Stapleton, P., Chatwin, H., Boucher, E., Crebbin, S., Scott, S., Smith, D., & Purkis, G. (2015). Use of complementary therapies by registered psychologists: An international study. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 46(3), 190- 196. doi: 10.1037/pro0000015

  • Statista (2021, May 19). Social media use during COVID-19 worldwide-statistics & facts. Https://www.statista.com/topics/7863/social-media-use-during-coronaviruscovid-19-worldwide/#dossierKeyfigures

  • Steele, R. (1900). Anotice of the ludus triumphorum and some early Italian Card games: With some remarks on the origin of the game of cards. Archaeologia, LVII, 85-200. Doi:10.1017/S0261340900027636.

  • Stewig, J. W., & Tenaglia, R. (1973). Instructional strategies: graphotherapy: Aiding children's personality development. Elementary English, 50(5), 775-788. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41388061

  • Taylor, S. (2021). Pandemics and clinical psychology. Reference Module in Neuroscience

  • and BiobehavioralPsychology.https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818697-8.00164-3

  • World Health Organization (2020). Pandemic fatigue: Reinvigorating the public to prevent COVID-19. World Health Organization.


Abstract Views: 215

PDF Views: 0




  • Pseudo-science Versus Evidence-based Science: Emergence of Online Therapy by Unqualified People

Abstract Views: 215  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Pavan Mache
Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Sadhana Natu
Department of Psychology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Abstract


A marked increase in the use of social media put a large number of people at risk of feeling lonely, depressed, and anxious. Ordinary people, influencers and therapists have become mental health advocates with instant messaging, quick posts, uplifting thoughts and advice for their followers. The information presented may leave viewers feeling further traumatized or confused. The rationale behind studying this topic was to study the impact of fake influencers on social media on mental health of adults in the context of India. This study tries to focus on the gaps in the literature available on the topic and tries to find the impacts, and effective ways to identify and tackle this quackery. The methodology used was a qualitative analysis of primary data gathered from online semi-structured interviews. Interviews of two mental health professionals and three people from the field of tarot card reading, graphology and online counselling with a short diploma course for therapy and counselling were taken. In addition, a book titled 'Shamans, Mystics and Doctors- APsychological Inquiry into India and Its Healing Traditions' by Sudhir Kakar was taken as secondary data. The results identify the causes of growth in pseudoscientific practices, analyses the impact and provide recommendations to tackle the same. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and broader implications. This is a qualitative study and thus has individual opinions and thought processes about the topic. It may be ridden with systematic biases, even though it's important to study it.

Keywords


online therapy, social media, mental health, quackery, pseudoscience

References