September 22, 2008
Telephone Therapy Versus Office Visits
Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine have taken the first "snapshot" of telephone-administered therapy studies around the country. An a new meta-analysis published in this month's Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice has found that when patients receive psychotherapy for depression over the phone, most of them continue with the therapy.
According to the authors, the telephone is increasingly being used to deliver psychotherapy for depression, in part as a means to reduce barriers to treatment. The new study found that the average attrition rate in the telephone therapy was only 7.6 percent compared to nearly 50 percent in face-to-face therapy. The telephone therapy also was effective in reducing depressive symptoms with results that appear to be similar to face-to-face treatment.
Some of the barriers cited that work against office visits are: transportation issues, travel time, fitting an appointment into days already crammed with work, caring for kids or elderly parents or other family obligations. Physical disability can also inhibit an individual from getting to a therapist's office.
The researchers conclude that "these findings suggest that telephone-administered psychotherapy can produce significant reductions in depressive symptoms. Attrition rates were considerably lower than rates reported in face-to-face psychotherapy."
The Effect of Telephone-Administered Psychotherapy on Symptoms of Depression and Attrition: A Meta-AnalysisClinical Psychology: Science and Practice
Volume 15 Issue 3, Pages 243 - 253