U.S.-Based Latina/O College Students’ Attitudes toward Online Counseling

Who’s Logging on? Differing Attitudes about Online Therapy

“…It does this by allowing them to access therapy from the privacy of their own home, versus at an office where they may be seen entering or exiting by members of their community. It was also hypothesized that Latinx college students had more positive attitudes toward online therapy because it reduces self-stigma and perceived stigma (Ballesteros & Hilliard, 2016). But, given that Latinx individuals and men did not indicate a preference for or a more positive attitude toward online therapy in the current study, online therapy may not reduce perceived stigma toward seeking therapeutic interventions in populations who are vulnerable to it as much as had been previously hoped.…”

“…Based on previous research that found that college-aged Latinx respondents generally have positive attitudes toward online therapy (Ballesteros & Hilliard, 2016), it was hypothesized that respondents who identified as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latinx would demonstrate a more positive attitude toward online therapy than participants who did not identify as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latinx. This was not the case.…”

“…This is further supported by the current study's findings on Spanish, Hispanic, and Latinx individuals. It was hypothesized that Latinx college students indicated positive attitudes toward online therapy because online therapy protects their anonymity (Ballesteros & Hilliard, 2016). It does this by allowing them to access therapy from the privacy of their own home, versus at an office where they may be seen entering or exiting by members of their community.…”

“…One study examined the attitudes of Latinx college students in the U.S. toward online therapy and found that Latinx students reported positive attitudes toward online therapy overall. The researchers also found that self-stigma and previous experience with therapy positively predicted attitudes toward online therapy, and that the gender of respondents made no difference (Ballesteros & Hilliard, 2016). Studies such as these detail the role that stigma plays in the acceptance of online therapy and demonstrate that there are differences in attitudes toward online therapy among college students and adolescents.…”

“…It was hypothesized that attitudes would be more positive among males based on the findings of Bradford and Rickwood (2014) and of Young (2005), who found that there were more males currently in online therapy than females. It was also expected that Latinx individuals and individuals who have previous experience with therapy would generally have positive attitudes toward online therapy, based on the findings of Ballesteros and Hilliard (2016). Other analyses were strictly exploratory.…”