Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Nov 22, 2021)
Date Submitted: Jun 3, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Usage patterns of telepsychology and face-to-face psychotherapy: Patients’ Profiles and Perceptions
ABSTRACT
Background:
Currently, most people who might need mental health care services do not receive them due to a number of reasons. Many of these reasons can be overcome by ICT, which facilitates access to specialized interventions. In fact, telepsychology is currently offered as an active service in many psychotherapy centers. However, its usage, how it is perceived, and who uses it are still largely unknown.
Objective:
The aim of this study was (1) to determine if any pattern exists in the usage of telepsychology and face-to-face psychology, (2) to clarify people’s perception of telepsychology in terms of the advantages, barriers and efficacy of online psychotherapy, and (3) to examine usage patterns in terms of individual characteristics and identify patients’ profiles.
Methods:
An online survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 514 subjects. Cluster analysis, Anovas and discriminant analysis were performed to test our research objectives.
Results:
Three usage patterns were found: (1) face-to-face psychotherapy (57%; n=292); (2) non-therapy (36.8%; n=189); and (3) combined face-to-face psychotherapy and telepsychology (6.4%; n=33). In addition, the perception of telepsychology varied among usage patterns, but a common perception emerged about the main telepsychology advantages, barriers and efficacy. Finally, the results showed that personal characteristics differentiated people in each of these patterns. Sociodemographic variables were critical in determining whether people attended face-to-face psychotherapy or not; whereas ICT competences and eHealth experience were critical in determining whether people attended telepsychology or not.
Conclusions:
There are naturally occurring psychotherapy usage patterns that vary according to the form of delivery. Furthermore, these usage patterns showed a common perception of telepsychology, but patients’ profiles differed in line with usage patterns. These patterns provide insight into opportunities for face-to-face and online patient engagement strategies.
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