Telepsychology holds promise as a treatment delivery method that may increase access to services as well as reduce barriers to treatment accessibility. The aim of this rapid evidence assessment was to assess the evidence for synchronous telepsychology interventions for 4 common mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and adjustment disorder). Randomized controlled trials published between 2005 and 2016 that investigated synchronous telepsychology (i.e., telephone delivered, video teleconference delivered, or Internet delivered text based) were identified through literature searches. From an initial yield of 2,266 studies, 24 were included in the review. Ten studies investigated the effectiveness of telephone-delivered interventions, 11 investigated the effectiveness of video teleconference (VTC) interventions, 2 investigated Internet-delivered text-based interventions, and 2 were reviews of multiple telepsychology modalities. There was sufficient evidence to support VTC and telephone-delivered interventions for mental health conditions. The evidence for synchronous Internet-delivered text-based interventions was ranked as "unknown." Telephone-delivered and VTC-delivered psychological interventions provide a mode of treatment delivery that can potentially overcome barriers and increase access to psychological interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Purpose. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread adoption of videoconferencing as a communication medium in mental health service delivery. This review considers the empirical literature to date on using videoconferencing to deliver psychological therapy to adults presenting with mental health problems.Method. Papers were identified via search of relevant databases. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted and synthesized on uptake, feasibility, outcomes, and participant and therapist experiences.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Objective. There is mounting evidence that traumatic life events play a role in auditory hallucinations (AH). Theory suggests that some AH are decontextualized trauma memory intrusions. Exposure-based trauma-focused therapies that target trauma memory intrusions may therefore be a promising new treatment. We aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a standard protocol trauma-focused imaginal exposure intervention for trauma-related AH and to provide initial proof of concept regarding potential effects on AH. Design. We conducted a single-arm case series of a six session (90 min per session) imaginal exposure intervention for trauma-related AH with assessments at baseline, posttherapy, and one-month follow-up. Results. Fifteen people were recruited and eligible to start the intervention. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction; however, temporary distress and symptom exacerbation were common and contributed to discontinuation. There was a large reduction in AH severity at one-month follow-up (adjusted d = 0.99), but individual response was highly variable. There were also large reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and the intrusiveness of the trauma memory. Conclusions. Imaginal exposure for trauma-related AH is generally acceptable and may have large effects on AH severity for some people. However, temporary distress and symptom exacerbation are common and can lead to discontinuation. Low referral rates and uptake also suggest feasibility issues for standalone imaginal exposure for AH. The intervention may be more feasible and acceptable in the context of a broader traumafocused therapy. Well-powered trials are needed to determine efficacy and factors that impact on acceptability and therapy response. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BackgroundThe mental health outcomes of military personnel deployed on peacekeeping missions have been relatively neglected in the military mental health literature.AimsTo assess the mental health impacts of peacekeeping deployments.MethodIn total, 1025 Australian peacekeepers were assessed for current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, service history and exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs). A matched Australian community sample was used as a comparator. Univariate and regression analyses were conducted to explore predictors of psychiatric diagnosis.ResultsPeacekeepers had significantly higher 12-month prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (16.8%), major depressive episode (7%), generalised anxiety disorder (4.7%), alcohol misuse (12%), alcohol dependence (11.3%) and suicidal ideation (10.7%) when compared with the civilian comparator. The presence of these psychiatric disorders was most strongly and consistently associated with exposure to PTEs.ConclusionsVeteran peacekeepers had significant levels of psychiatric morbidity. Their needs, alongside those of combat veterans, should be recognised within military mental health initiatives.Declaration of interestNone.Copyright and usageThis is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.

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The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is an intervention that targets common mechanisms that maintain symptoms across multiple disorders. The UP has been shown to be effective across many disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive episode (MDE), and panic disorder, that commonly codevelop following trauma exposure. The present study represented the first randomized controlled trial of the UP in the treatment of trauma‐related psychopathology, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms. Adults (N = 43) who developed posttraumatic psychopathology that included PTSD, MDE, or an anxiety disorder after sustaining a severe injury were randomly assigned to receive 10–14 weekly, 60‐min sessions of UP (n = 22) or usual care (n = 21). The primary treatment outcome was PTSD symptom severity, with secondary outcomes of depression and anxiety symptom severity and loss of diagnosis for any trauma‐related psychiatric disorder. Assessments were conducted at intake, posttreatment, and 6‐month follow‐up. Posttreatment, participants who received the UP showed significantly larger reductions in PTSD, Hedges’ g = 1.27; anxiety, Hedges’ g = 1.20; and depression symptom severity, Hedges’ g = 1.40, compared to those receiving usual care. These treatment effects were maintained at 6‐month follow‐up for PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptom severity. Statistically significant posttreatment loss of PTSD, MDE, and agoraphobia diagnoses was observed for participants who received the UP but not usual care. This study provides preliminary evidence that the UP may be an effective non–trauma‐focused treatment for PTSD and other trauma‐related psychopathology.