JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The use of virtual mental healthcare increased rapidly in 2020 as a critical response to the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively serving as a contact-free alternative to receiving treatment. While virtual care remains a viable option for individuals with geographic and physical barriers to treatment, there are several perceived therapeutic disadvantages (e.g., missing nonverbal signals, handling crises, confidentiality, weakened social connection in group therapy).

Objective:

The present study sought to develop and validate a survey designed to measure effectiveness of virtual therapy versus in-person treatment across key therapeutic factors (i.e., therapeutic alliance, engagement, rapport, confidentiality).

Methods:

An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to understand factor structure, and Cronbach’s alpha was utilized to determine internal consistency. Incremental validity was demonstrated through a hierarchical linear regression.

Results:

The EFA revealed a three-dimensional factor structure. Three factors accounted for 61% of the variance and preliminary Cronbach’s alpha (α =0.71) indicates a satisfactory level of internal consistency. Hierarchical linear regression indicated that the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) accounts for additional variance in the Therapy Mode Preference Scale (TMPS).

Conclusions:

Continual research is warranted to expand the current findings, by validating this standardized tool for assessing the therapeutic impact of virtual versus in-person care in a generalizable population.