7Cups’ Support Services: A Critical Examination of the Risks and Ethical Concerns
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33423/jlae.v21i3.7210Keywords:
leadership, accountability, ethics, 7Cups, emotional support, gender transition, teens, ethical concerns, mental health servicesAbstract
This critical examination scrutinizes the risks and ethical concerns surrounding 7Cups, an online platform providing emotional support to individuals globally. Through firsthand experience and scientific analysis, this report highlights several issues within 7Cups’ support services, including the facilitation of gender transition in teens, shortcomings in group chat room moderation, and inadequacies in listener training. Concerns arise regarding the potential harm caused by hasty recommendations for gender transition without proper evaluation, the lack of supervision in group chat rooms leading to ineffective support, and the absence of accountability and oversight for listeners, potentially resulting in harmful advice. The report underscores the need for a more personalized and comprehensive approach to emotional support, prioritizing ethical principles, and ensuring the safety and effectiveness of mental health services provided by platforms like 7Cups.
References
Cicchetti, D. (1990). Resilience and development: Contributions from the study of children who overcome adversity. Developmental Psychopathology, 2(4), 425–444. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579400005812
Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R.A., Murphy, B., Karbon, M., Maszk, P., Smith, M., & O’Boyle, C. (1995). The relations of emotionality and regulation to dispositional and situational empathy related responding. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(4), 723–735. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.68.4.723
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues and Research Gaps and Opportunities. (2011). The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. National Academies Press (US).
Joinson, A.N. (2003). Understanding the psychology of internet behaviour: Virtual worlds, real lives. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121–1134. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1121
McRoberts, C., Burlingame, G.M., Hoag, M.J., & Johnson, J.E. (2018). Group therapy: A meta-analysis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 384–397. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000170
Rook, K.S., August, K.J., Stephens, M.A.P., & Franks, M.M. (2011). When does social support help or hurt? The role of perceived control and social support in coping with caregiving stress. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 9(1), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407592091003
Rose-Krasnor, L. (1997). The nature of social competence: A theoretical review. Social Development, 6(1), 111–135. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.1997.tb00098.x
SAMHSA. (2020). Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Taylor, S.E. (2011). Social support: A review. In H.S. Friedman (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of health psychology (pp. 189–214). Oxford University Press.
Twenge, J.M., & Campbell, W.K. (2009). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. Free Press.
Vogel, D.L., Wade, N.G., & Haake, S. (2006). Measuring the self-stigma associated with seeking psychological help. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(3), 325–337. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.3.325
Zucker, K.J. (2017). Epidemiology of gender dysphoria and transgender identity. Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures, pp. 363–376.
Zucker, K.J. (2019). Adolescents with gender dysphoria: Reflections on some contemporary clinical and research issues. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(7), 1983–1992.
