Telehealth practices through phone and video sessions provide patients with clinical information and counseling, medical consultation, diagnosis, intervention and treatment, as well as a level of psychological and emotional interconnection that might not otherwise be available due to monetary, geographical and even physical or emotional factors. Telehealth sessions have proved to be a useful form of or component of treatment for many of the underlying and co-occurring problems that come with substance use, abuse and dependence that include depression, anxiety, stress, schizophrenia, diabetes, weight loss or weight gain, as well as mild to severe withdrawal symptoms from substance abuse cessation.
Here are a few studies that have shined light onto the potential for telehealth to treat underlying and co-occurring mental health problems.
Online vs Face-to-Face Therapy for Depression
Clinical trials have shown that internet-based therapy is equally as beneficial as face-to-face therapy for treating depression. In a study with 60 participants, 32 received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment through an internet-based therapist-supported intervention group while 30 received CBT treatment through a face-to-face intervention over an 8-week period. The study concluded significant positive changes in symptoms in both groups, however, a 3-month follow-up revealed that the participants in the online group remained stable while the participants in the face-to-face group declined. The participants’ depressive symptoms significantly worsened three months after termination of treatment, suggesting that face-to-face treatment is not as viable for the long term compared to developing online techniques.
Text-Based Therapy for Depression, Anxiety and Stress
Over a six-week study, participants were given access to a CBT interactive self-help program, “myCompass,” which provided real-time self-monitoring and self-management through short message service (SMS) prompts and brief online modules including media such as powerpoints, PDFs and video. The study found that the myCompass program significantly reduced symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and overall psychological distress, as well as improved self-efficacy and social function. The success of studies like this aid in the development of mobile phone-based interventions and ongoing care with the potential of improving psychological well-being in the short and long-term.
Internet vs Group Administered CBT for Panic Disorder
Studies on internet treatment for panic disorders have found that telehealth is far more time and cost effective than traditional in-person group sessions and can provide equally quality care for those seeking CBT for panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia). Treatment programs that include video and textual self-help information using CBT principles regarding psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, interoceptive exposure, exposure in-vivo and relapse prevention can be invaluable for those who may have monetary, geographical, physical and psychological restrictions such as those seen in individuals with panic disorder.
Phone and Text-based Teletherapy for Schizophrenia
Recent studies have found that telephone calls and text messages have the potential to offer quality therapeutic and interventive support for those with schizophrenia to aid in problem solving, medication adherence, socialization, and auditory hallucinations. Approximately 55 participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder received up to 840 text messages over a 12-week period. The study’s results found that education adherence improved significantly for individuals who were living independently, the number of social interactions increased significantly and there was a significant reduction in severity of hallucinations. The improved quality of care and physiological well-being indicate that text message-based intervention and continuing care can be beneficial for individuals with schizophrenia.
Text-based Teletherapy for Weight Loss
Text message-based telehealth education and intervention programs that use a combination of online media, mail and text features of mobile phones have proven successful in addressing diabetes self-management, reducing weight loss, managing weight, physical activity, smoking cessation, and medication adherence. Research on weight management programs that include personalized messages ranging in frequency from multiple messages a day to one message per week have provided strong evidence to support the effectiveness and efficiency of integrating text-messaging interventions into public health practice, however, additional research is needed to develop longer-term intervention programs.
Text-based Teletherapy for Smoking Cessation
Smoking cessation programs and classes involve discovering trigger points for smoking, learning how to avoid smoking and developing how to redirect the craving. Traditionally these sessions involve face-to-face meetings, however, new studies have found that text-based therapy containing motivational, smoking cessation and general advice, as well as behavioral-change support is equally effective and interactive as face-to-face methods. Text-based therapy can be easily modified to meet general and specific needs of different demographics and disorders through personalized text messages that can reach any individual at any location at any time.
