If You Build It Will They Come? Adoption of Online Counseling of Overseas

Migrant WorkersMa. Regina M. Hechanova, PhD

Ateneo de Manila University

• OFWs comprise 10% of the Philippine Population– Advantage: Remittances fuel economy; Upward mobility– Disadvantage: Negative effects on the OFW and their

families • Online Counseling– Despite distances, psychosocial interventions/ counseling

can be done via internet-mediated communications• Rationale for Study– There are theories that explain migrant adjustment, help-

seeking behavior and technology adoption– Dearth of literature on adoption of online counseling

among migrant workers

Research Objectives

ADJUSTMENT THEORYHow does the profile of OFW users in terms of

issues raised, occupation and host country influence adoption of online counseling?

HELP-SEEKING THEORY: How do help-seeking factors influence the adoption of online

counseling?

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION: How do technology-

related factors influence the adoption of online

counseling?

ADOPTION OF ONLINE

COUNSELING

• OFWOnline launched in July 2009 to provide online counseling via chat to OFWs and their families

• Project of Ateneo Center for Organization Research and Development (Ateneo CORD), Ateneo Department of Psychology, Ateneo Department of Information & Computer Science with support from Singapore Internet Research Development Center and other partners

• Service is provided to OFWs and their families for FREE• Users register and communicate with counselors via chathttp://www.ofwonline.net/index.php?option=com_jumi&fileid=3

Methodology

• Secondary Data– profile of OFWs that made use of the

website, the demographic variables of 191 OFWs site users

– analysis of counseling transcriptions (average time is 60.44 minutes; 7,199 lines of text derived from 40 counseling sessions - 36 text-based chat, 4 email)

• Interviews– perceptions and attitudes of non-users about

online counselling, 30 individuals (10 OFWs, 10 spouses, 10 children)

SITE USER PROFILE:•Average of 14 site user/mo •User traffic is variable (weekdays and office hours and after media promotion)•OFWs (85%), family members(15%)•Mostly male (75%)•78% white collar professionals•Majority of sessions are 1-time with a maximum of 18 session

Issues of OFWs and their Families

• Family, marital relationship issues (65%)• Work related issues (23%)• Homesickness/Loneliness (15%)• Cross-cultural adjustment (15%)• Financial (10%

Users

A positive experience / potentially positive

experience

Non-Users

Lack of Clarity/Stigma

For those with big problems

Counselors as Experts, Listeners, and/or Agents of Action

HELP-SEEKING ATTITUDES

For those with No social support

BARRIERS•Lack of access•Lack of computer skills•Technology & connectivity problems

DRIVERS

•Access•Ease with technology •Computer Norms among peers

Technology-Related Issues

PROPOSED MODEL FOR ADOPTION OF ONLINE COUNSELING

NATURE OF ISSUES

Problems & their Severity

HELP-SEEKING ATTITUDES

Existence of Social Support

Openness to Counseling

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

ADOPTION OF ONLINE

COUNSELING

Perceived Need Attitudes Help-Seeing Behavior

Location, Occupation, Gender

Implications APPLICATION• Need for Media

promotion/awareness• Changes in counseling model

(inclusion of email, counseling by appointment, Facebook)

• Need to expand technology (mobile counseling)

• Need for training of counselors on online counseling

• Sustainability issues

POLICY• Currently this service is

being run in partnership with private organizations

• Need for stronger private-public partnership