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Summary
The online therapy market has experienced a significant surge since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the global market size growing from $7.67 billion in 2020 to an anticipated $9.5 billion in 2023, exhibiting a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.4%. The market is projected to continue its upward trajectory, reaching an estimated $23.7 billion by 2027, further strengthening at a CAGR of 25.7%. This notable expansion has been driven by an increased reliance on digital platforms for providing counseling and psychological support services, facilitated by the widespread adoption of smartphones and internet-based communication technologies. The pandemic has heightened mental health issues globally, with substantial increases in anxiety and depression, leading to a greater need for online therapy services that offer various types of counseling, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and person-centered therapy. Additionally, during the pandemic, Italy specifically saw a marked increase in the average income of psychologists, suggesting a rise in demand for mental health services within the country.
Evolving Demand Trends in Italy's Online Psychotherapy Market
As Italy continues to navigate the post-pandemic landscape, the demand for online psychotherapy services has revealed interesting patterns. The psychological well-being of Italians, which took a nosedive during the pandemic, remains a cause for concern, with a staggering 26% of the population feeling that their situation has declined even compared to the previous year. A majority, around 59%, perceive no change, and a slim 11% believe there has been an improvement. The net negative perception sits at -15 percent, indicating a lingering psychological malaise, primarily among those aged 35-54 and the over 55s. Economic uncertainty reigns supreme as a stressor, affecting both men and women, though slightly more men seem to be affected (26%) than women (23%). Other prominent stress factors include the state of physical health and the spiraling cost of living, both affecting around 14% and 13% of respondents, respectively. The stress of juggling work and family responsibilities also weighs heavily on Italian minds.
A glance at online behavior reveals that the keyword "online psychologists" saw significant search interest during the heart of the pandemic in 2020, with values averaging around 66.6 on Google's relative search interest scale, where 100 represents peak frequency. Subsequent years did exhibit some declines, however, the interest remained notably high, indicating a persistent reliance on and trust in online psychotherapy platforms among Italian users. This sustained demand for online therapy services post-pandemic has been further elevated with the necessity to adapt to new health norms and safety protocols for "physical"distance, showcasing the online platform's role not just as a temporary solution but as a mainstay in mental health services delivery. The online therapy market in Italy, thus, reflects a societal shift towards digital solutions in healthcare prompted by unprecedented global health challenges..Navigating the Italian Online Therapy Landscape: Key Providers Pioneering Digital Mental Health Services
The Emergence of Online Psychotherapy Giants
In the evolving terrain of Italy’s mental health support system, certain online therapy platforms have made a substantial mark. As the pandemic imposed constraints on face-to-face interactions, these digital services bridged the gap between therapists and those in need of psychological assistance.
- Unobravo: Tailoring Therapy for Expatriates Founded by Danila de Stefano just prior to the pandemic, Unobravo carved out a niche by focusing on expatriates—individuals living away from their home nations. Understanding the unique challenges faced by this group, Unobravo implemented a data-driven matching algorithm that pairs patients with psychologists based on language and psychological requirements. This ensures that expats receive therapy in their native tongue, thus overcoming language barriers. Moreover, Unobravo's competitive rates and flexible booking system uphold its reputation as a reliable and accessible mental health solution for the expatriate community.
- ItaliaTiAscolto: Homegrown Digital Support A prime example of innovation in crisis, ItaliaTiAscolto stands as an exemplary initiative from within Italy. Spearheaded by the Bicapp research center of the University of Milan-Bicocca, in partnership with the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy and iMoobyte, the app emerged in response to the lockdown-imposed isolation. With ItaliaTiAscolto, users can easily connect with professionals for one-hour sessions in a virtual setting that can accommodate up to 16 participants. Its creation in September 2020 provided a vital lifeline for continued therapy amidst unprecedented times.
- Local Players Paving the Way for Accessible Counseling While there are numerous other players in the market, these two platforms exemplify the conscious shift towards digitally enabled mental health services. With an eye for specificity and inclusivity, they ensure that Italy's diverse population receives the care and support it deserves.
As the landscape of mental health services continues to evolve, these companies underscore the potential for online therapy not only as a reactionary measure to unprecedented times but as a sustainable and flexible approach to mental wellness in the modern era. They are paving the way towards a future where psychological support transcends geographical barriers and is available to anyone in need, regardless of their circumstances or location.
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Inforamtion
- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 23/11/2023
Summary and extracts
1 Synthèse du marché
1.1 Introduction
That of online therapy is a rapidly growing market that provides counseling and psychological support services through digital platforms. The types of therapy that can be conducted remotely are:[Unobravo]
- Onlineindividual psychotherapy: Personal therapy to address individual problems in a safe and flexible online environment.
- Onlinecouples psychotherapy: Therapy designed to resolve conflicts between partners in a convenient and confidential online setting.
- Online grouptherapy: Therapy involving multiple participants with the same problem in a mutually supportive virtual environment.
- Online familypsychotherapy: Therapy for the entire family unit to improve communication and resolve conflicts, facilitated by online participation.
This type of therapy gained considerable importance during the period of the pandemic, where online interviews were the only means by which patients could continue their therapeutic journey. Among the initiatives that experienced great growth during this period is ItaliaTiAscolto, an app created in September 2020 by the Bicapp research center of the University of Milan-Bicocca, in collaboration with the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy and the company iMoobyte. The app allows people to connect with psychotherapy professionals and book one-hour sessions with up to 16 participants per virtual room. Another platform is Unobravo, founded by Danila de Stefano before the arrival of the pandemic. Unobravo primarily targets expats, that is, people who live far from their home country, and uses a matching algorithm to select the most suitable psychologist for the user. The service features specialists who speak the same language as the patient, to facilitate communication, and offers competitive rates and the ability to book appointments at any time.[Wired]
The global market size for online therapy services will increase from $7.6 billion in 2022 to $9.6 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate(CAGR) of 25.4 percent. In addition, the market is expected to grow to $24 billion in 2027 with a CAGR of 25.7%.[Globenewswire]
This study focuses on the online therapy market in Italy. For information on related markets, such as traditional psychological therapy or psychotropic drugs, please refer to the specific studies available in the Businesscoot catalog.
1.2 The global market
Online therapy service provides expert counseling in physical mental fitness through the use of the Internet, generally making use of video chat, messaging apps and e-mail. Online counseling is a viable alternative to traditional face-to-face therapy and is rapidly seeing an increase in the number of patients who rely on it. ...
1.3 The local market
In order to learn about local market trends, consider data on the incomes of Italian psychologists in ****, where there is a significant increase. These data were collected through the tax returns submitted by those who practice as freelancers, including in conjunction with a salaried job. The information refers only to income ...
1.4 The Impact of COVID-19
According to a recent scientific study published by theWorld Health Organization(***) and decreased physical activity, resulting in increased body weight, are reported.[***]
The field of online psychologists began to expand with the very outbreak of the pandemic; this was due to both the worsening emotional and mental condition of patients and ...
2 Analyse de la demande
2.1 Demand characteristics
The psychological well-being of Italians is hardly recovering from the effects given by the post-pandemic period. In fact, compared to ****, more than one in four people, corresponding to **%, believe their situation has worsened, while **% say it has remained unchanged and only**% have noticed an improvement. Overall, the balance of these perceptions ...
2.2 Factors influencing demand
With the spread of Covid-** there has been an increase in online psychotherapy sessions, a factor caused by the need to protect the "physical" immune system. Thus, the encounter between therapist and patient takes place through an intermediary, namely the technological medium; the latter does not replace corporeality, and since psychotherapy ...
2.3 Geographical distribution of interest in the new frontier of psychotherapy
As shown in the graph below, Rome ranks first in the ranking of cities with the highest number of online searches on psychology-related topics in ****; followed by Milan (***). Compared to ****, there is a significant increase of ** percent of searches on Rome. In contrast, Naples and Turin record a substantial drop in ...
2.4 New demand trends
Despite the fact that traditionally it was almost negatively conceived to turn to a psychologist or psychotherapist, for the past few years there has been increasing recognition of the benefits of undertaking this type of path, understanding that it is not just a treatment of a disorder. In the **** CNOP survey, ...
3 Structure du marché
3.1 Market structure and size
Active enterprises in recent years The growth in the number of active enterprises in the field of psychological activity during the period from **** to **** is remarkable and reflects a significant increase in interest and demand for psychological services during this period. From **** to ****, there is a **.**% increase in the number of ...
3.2 Value Chain
Clinical psychologists: clinical psychologists assess and treat mental and emotional disorders. Some clinical psychologists specialize in specific disorders: depression, eating disorders, anxiety, personality disorders. Psychotherapists: psychotherapy is a clinical intervention model that offers psychological support; they usually treat purely everyday problems, problems in interpresonal relationships, or emotional problems. Educational psychologists: this ...
3.3 Distribution channels
Online therapy service can be accessed through major instant messaging and video conferencing apps. Skype is the most popular platform with which professionals (***).
Tools used by psychologists for online sessions Italy, ****, % Guidapsicologists
Despite the development of these online channels, many professionals decide to combine this use of the service with in-person ...
3.4 Main actors
There are digital platforms where you can interact with psychologists and psychotherapists:
In addition, as was analyzed earlier, many psychologist practices offer online psychotherapy service.
4 Analyse de l'offre
4.1 Type of Offering
Online therapy represents a new frontier of psychological care, useful for bringing the patient closer to the therapist and ensuring the possibility of sessions at any time. Developed more during the pandemic period, this type of therapy is carried out through the help of certain technological means, such as:
video calls: ...
4.2 Prices
In the context of psychological services, it is necessary to establish a clear and regulated framework for determining fees. Below are the main points regarding fees for psychological services:
Professional Servicesand Fees: for professional services provided by a psychologist registered in Section A of the Register, in accordance with Presidential Decree ...
4.3 Psychology and artificial intelligence
With the integration of innovative technologies into clinical practice, more and more technologies are becoming known; one that has recently attracted a great deal of interest is ChatGPT (***), a chatbot developed by the company OpenAI. The platform is not really an artificial intelligence, but rather is a type of language model ...
5 Règlementation
5.1 Regulatory framework
Profession Psychologist
The profession of psychologist is regulated by two main laws, Law **/**** and Law */****. Law **/**** defines the psychologist's scope of practice, which includes prevention, diagnosis,habilitation, rehabilitation , and support in the field of psychology, targeting individuals, groups, social bodies , and communities. it is important to note that psychotherapy, regulated byArticle ...
5.2 Bonus Psychologist
The "psychologist bonus ****" represents financial support provided by the state, with a maximum amount of €*,***, to cover expenses associated with psychotherapy sessions, as established by the Budget Law of ****. The bonus was created to ensure access to psychotherapy sessions for those experiencing depression, anxiety, stress , and psychological distress as a result ...
6 Positionnement des acteurs
6.1 Segmentation
Italian platforms
Foreign platforms
- Unobravo
- Serenis
- Psicodigitale
- Guidapsicologi
- Con Te All'Estero
- Betterhelp
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