Recommendations for policy and practice of telepsychotherapy and e-mental health in Europe and beyond.

Daele, Tom Van; Karekla, Maria; Kassianos, Angelos P.; Compare, Angelo; Haddouk, Lise; Salgado, João; Ebert, David Daniel; Trebbi, Glauco; Bernaerts, Sylvie; Assche, Eva Van; Witte, Nele A. J. De

doi:10.1037/int0000218

Cited by 95 publications

(101 citation statements)

References 74 publications

(99 reference statements)

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“…Digital e-health treatment options provide potential solution to assure the continuity of treatment and at the same time protect health of the service-users and professionals [59,60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with mental well-being, social connections and existing vulnerabilities: an Austrian survey study

Simon

Helter

White

et al. 2020

Preprint

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BackgroundImpacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its public health measures go beyond physical and mental health and incorporate wider well-being impacts in terms of what people are free to do or be. We explored these capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with people’s mental well-being, social support and existing vulnerabilities in Austria.MethodsAdult Austrian residents (n=560) provided responses to a cross-sectional online survey about their experiences during Covid-19 lockdown (15 March-15 April 2020). Instruments measuring capabilities (OxCAP-MH), depression and anxiety (HADS), social support (MSPSS) and mental well-being (WHO-5) were used in association with six pre-defined vulnerabilities using multivariable linear regression.Results31% of the participants reported low mental well-being and only 30% of those with a history of mental health treatment received treatment during lockdown. Past mental health treatment had a significant negative effect across all outcome measures with an associated capability well-being score reduction of -6.54 (95%CI: -9.26,-3.82). Direct Covid-19 experience and being ‘at risk’ due to age and/or physical health conditions were also associated with significant capability deprivations. When adjusted for vulnerabilities, significant capability reductions were observed in association with increased levels of depression (−1.79) and anxiety (−1.50), and significantly higher capability levels (+3.77) were associated with higher levels of social support. Compared to the cohort average, individual capability impacts varied between -9% for those reporting past mental health treatment and +5% for those reporting one score higher on the social support scale.ConclusionsOur study is the first to assess the capability limiting aspects of a lockdown in association with specific vulnerabilities. The negative impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown were strongest for people with a history of mental health treatment. In future public health policies, special attention should be also paid to improving social support levels to increase public resilience.

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“…Digital e-health treatment options provide potential solution to assure the continuity of treatment and at the same time protect health of the service-users and professionals [59,60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with mental well-being, social connections and existing vulnerabilities: an Austrian survey study

Simon

Helter

White

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This study begins to answer the call to monitor rates of depression, anxiety and PTSS and to identify mechanisms that can help explain differential trajectories of distress during the COVID-19 pandemic (Holmes et al, 2020). The current findings have implications for primary care and mental health providers, many of whom are providing care online (van Daele et al, 2020). Healthcare providers may need to be vigilant for evidence of somatization and difficulties defending against distress when assessing patients who present for care, whether for COVID-related symptoms or unrelated difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Implications and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Identifying Predictors of Psychological Distress During COVID-19: A Machine Learning Approach

et al. 2020

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“…to use technology for psychotherapy may be related to uninformed attitudes, rather than fundamental issues relating to this modality (Van Daele et al, 2020). National and international institutions hold the responsibility for increasing the acceptance of telepsychotherapy among both clinicians and the general public, especially in the current context, given that a surge in the demand for mental health resources is expected in the months following isolation (Gao et al, 2020).…”

Section: A B C Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychotherapy During COVID-19: How the Clinical Practice of Italian Psychotherapists Changed During the Pandemic

et al. 2020

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Italy was one of the first countries to be significantly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, determining a unique scenario for Italian psychotherapists to consider changing the modality in which they deliver treatment. The present study aimed at studying which factors related to psychotherapists and their clinical practice had a major role in predicting two main outcomes: (1) the rate of interrupted treatments during lockdown and (2) psychotherapists' satisfaction with the telepsychotherapy modality. Methods: An online survey was administered to licensed psychotherapists (n = 306), who worked mainly as private practitioners, between April 5 and May 10, 2020 (i.e., the peak of the pandemic in Italy). Results: Psychotherapists reported that 42.1% (SD = 28.9) of their treatments had been interrupted, suggesting that Italy faced an important undersupply of psychotherapy during the lockdown. Using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) model selection, we identified three predictors of the rate of interrupted treatments: (1) psychotherapists' lack of experience with telepsychotherapy prior to the lockdown, (2) their theoretical orientation (with cognitive behavioral psychotherapists reporting a higher rate of interrupted treatments), and (3) patients' lack of privacy at home, as reported to the psychotherapists. Furthermore, we found four predictors of psychotherapists' satisfaction with the telepsychotherapy modality: (1) the rate of interrupted treatments, (2) psychotherapists' previous experience with telepsychotherapy, (3) their beliefs about the compatibility of telepsychotherapy with their theoretical orientation, and (4) their use of a video-conferencing modality, rather than telephone. Conclusion: The following recommendations can help policy makers, professional associations, and practitioners in promoting the continuity of psychotherapy treatments during the COVID-19 outbreak and in future emergencies: (i) disseminating training programs for practitioners on telepsychotherapy, (ii) supporting patients to pragmatically access a private space at home, (iii) encouraging practitioners to use video-conferencing (instead of telephone) to deliver remote therapy, and (iv) increasing the acceptance of telepsychotherapy among both clinicians and the general public.

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Recommendations for policy and practice of telepsychotherapy and e-mental health in Europe and beyond.

Cited by 95 publications

References 74 publications

Capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with mental well-being, social connections and existing vulnerabilities: an Austrian survey study

Capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with mental well-being, social connections and existing vulnerabilities: an Austrian survey study

Identifying Predictors of Psychological Distress During COVID-19: A Machine Learning Approach

Psychotherapy During COVID-19: How the Clinical Practice of Italian Psychotherapists Changed During the Pandemic

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