Couples Therapy Delivered Through Videoconferencing: Effects on Relationship Outcomes, Mental Health and the Therapeutic Alliance

Abstract

Changing technology, and the pervasive demand created by a greater need in the population for access to mental health interventions, has led to the development of technologies that are shifting the traditional way in which therapy is provided. This study investigated the efficacy of a behavioral couples therapy program conducted via videoconferencing, as compared to face-to-face. There were 60 participants, in couples, ranging in age from 21 to 69 years old. Couples had been in a relationship for between 1 to 49 years. The 30 couples were randomly allocated to the face-to-face or videoconferencing group. They all took part in Couple CARE—a couples behavioral education program which promotes self-change in order to increase relationship satisfaction. The six session manualized intervention was offered in an identical manner to all clients, in each condition. Data analysis was based on several questionnaires completed by each couple at pre, post and 3-months follow-up. Results showed that therapeutic alliance ratings did not differ between groups, but increased significantly over time for both groups. Additionally, the results indicated improvements in relationship satisfaction, mental health, and all other outcome scores over time, which did not differ based on condition. This study uniquely contributes to the literature exploring the use of technology to provide therapy. Specifically, the study provides evidence for couples therapy via videoconferencing as a viable alternative to face-to-face interventions, especially for those couples who may not have access to the treatment they require. It is anticipated that the results of this study will contribute to the field of online therapy, and add to fostering confidence in agencies to allow expansion of services conducted via videoconferencing.

Practices of relationship management in organized helping

“…Given the influence of specific media affordances on the type of relation that can be built and on the relational practices that can and must be employed by the participants (Muntigl et al 2013;Stommel and Te Molder 2015;Linke and Schröter 2017), another empirical focus addresses the medium in and through which the helping relationship materializes (cf. Ekberg et al 2016;Berger 2017;Van Daele et al 2020;Kysely et al 2022). While most contributions draw on face-to-face interaction in the context of verbal communication, embodied practices of relationship building and their combination with verbal practices are at the center of the contribution by Muntigl.…”

Use of telemental health for VA family services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“…The only clinical trial to date to date to systematically examine a couple therapy delivered over TMH compared to an in-person modality demonstrated comparable clinical benefit from a couple-based posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment when delivered in-person or over TMH-V (Morland et al, 2022). Another recent randomized study showed equivalent treatment gains and working alliance when providing relationship education over TMH compared to face-to-face (F2F; Kysely et al, 2022). More research is needed on how TMH is used to provide VA couple and family services and which patients may be best served by this modality.…”