ONLINE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE IN CRISIS AND IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS DUE TO ILLNESS

The article presents a review of the studies on the problem of psychological Internet counseling of people in crisis and difficult situations due to health issues. The analysis of publications has revealed that most of the studies show the positive results in rendering psychological assistance to people in crisis and difficult life situations. Researchers consider instant messaging and video communication to be the most effective forms of online psychological support. At present, Internet technologies make it possible to give psychological support to people in crises, prevent suicidal behavior; provide psychological counseling to patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and violence survivors, offer support and psychological assistance to patients suffering from chronic diseases. Internet interventions save resources and time for both the therapist and clients, improve access to psychological care for people in remote areas, reduce the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, improve the quality of life, allow for persistent behavior change in people with chronic somatic diseases, and can also be used in addition to traditional in-person therapy. Internet technologies help detect clinical symptoms in patients with various chronic diseases. Most of the studies show that online counseling and informing patients with kidney disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic pain, and diabetes improve their overall health. Thus, the studies on online psychological interventions highlight the widespread use of Internet technologies in providing psychological services to people in crisis and difficult life situations due to illness.