THE NUMBER of couples seeking marriage guidance for problems involving “use of the internet” has increased by almost 90 per cent in just two years, Catholic marriage counselling service Accord has said.
Demand for the agency’s services was on the increase with financial difficulties and problems with internet use showing a particularly rapid growth in recent years.
Accord recorded a 71 per cent increase in clients presenting with financial problems from 2007 to 2009. Demand for its services increased by 11 per cent in the last year alone, while rates of depression and stress were up 14 per cent and 12 per cent respectively in 2009.
However, the greatest increase was in the percentage of people experiencing marital difficulties because of internet use, with figures up 87.5 per cent from 2007 to 2009. “The four main problems associated with internet use are work, playing games on the internet, using pornography, and gambling,” Accord national director Ruth Barror said. “While these figures are coming from quite a low base, it suggests that people are seeking a distraction from other worries, particularly money worries,” she said.
The areas listed by clients as causing most problems were communication, stress and sexual intimacy. Accord provided more than 40,000 counselling sessions last year, Ms Barror said. “This highlights the fact that more couples are choosing to engage the assistance of professionals to work through difficulties that arise in their relationships.”
Speaking ahead of a celebration in Maynooth today of Accord’s 40th year of service, Accord president Bishop Willie Walsh said the central message was hope. “Despite difficulties, many problems in marriage can either be prevented or overcome through timely intervention in the shape of marriage preparation or counselling.” He highlighted Accord’s policy of providing free or reduced cost services to those who cannot pay.
