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

Page: 505-511
Pavan Mache1 and Sadhana Natu2 (Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra1 and Department of Psychology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra2)

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- A Psychological 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.