Application of Synchronous Text-Based Dialogue Systems in Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review (original) (raw)
Related papers
Mental Health Counseling: An Online Chat vs. Face-to-Face Comparison
THE GUIDANCE JOURNAL, 2023
This study investigated the effectiveness of online chat therapy compared to traditional face-to-face therapy in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. A total of fifty-nine clients were selected based on the availability of their pre-pandemic traditional face-to-face therapy scores from 2018 to 2019 and online chat therapy scores from 2020 to 2021. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), while anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Results showed no significant differences in the baseline anxiety and depression scores of face to face and online chat groups. However, the online chat therapy group showed a statistically significant larger reduction in depression symptoms compared to the traditional face-to-face therapy group. Anxiety levels were also reduced.These findings suggest that online chat therapy can be an effective alternative to traditional face-to-face therapy for treating depression and anxiety.
Text Messaging Platforms in Mental Health Computerised-based Therapy: A Review
Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology
Mental health comprises emotional, psychological and social well-being. Global mental health problems have shown an increase in its statistics. Some psychotherapy approaches such as Internet-based therapy and mobile therapy have been carried out in clinical settings to improve one’s mental health conditions. The objective of this paper is to identify the different kinds of text messaging platforms that have been tested in mental health computerised-based therapy settings. This paper also aimed to identify the effectiveness of the text messaging platforms on different mental health problems specifically. The review considered five databases (Scopus, PubMed, ACM Digital Library, IEEE XPlore and Web of Science) for the article searching process. The retrieved articles were screened to fulfil the selection criteria including English and Malay language but exclude research protocols, proposals for a prototype application and literature reviews. The search resulted in 3656 articles but on...
Health Education Journal, 2017
Objective: Counselling within educational settings has now become commonplace. As with the advent of the use of new technologies in teaching, such developments are also impacting the broader support structures available to students. One development is the move of schools to offer pupils access to online counselling services. To date, such practices have received little attention, and this paper synthesises the existing empirical research literature in this area. Design: A systematic review of the literature was conducted which focused upon synchronous chat counselling for 11-to 25-year-olds. Method: Key bibliographic databases were searched for relevant papers. These were assessed for relevance and quality prior to being included into the analysis. The final selection of studies was analysed for key themes. Results: In all, 19 papers met the inclusion criteria. The thematic synthesis identified four higher order themes: (1) developing safe and youth-friendly online services, (2) online client characteristics, (3) in-session online processes and (4) session alliance and outcome. Conclusion: These themes outline the varied challenges and opportunities present within this developing practice. Each is initially discussed alongside existing literature related to online counselling before the implications for educational providers are explicitly considered. Ultimately, it is concluded that online counselling for students has much potential, however, those commissioning such services need to be mindful of common pitfalls.
Current and Future Trends in Internet-Supported Mental Health Interventions
Journal of Technology in Human Services, 2011
Despite growing research in the past two decades involving Internet-supported or online mental health interventions, there has been only a few attempts to provide a synthesis of the research findings and future trends. The Internet has grown exponentially during this time, providing greater access to a wider population than ever before. Consequently, online mental health interventions have the potential to be cost-effective, convenient, and reach a more diverse population than traditional, face-to-face interventions. This paper reviews and summarizes the current research for online mental health interventions and discusses future trends. These interventions range from psychoeducational static webpages and complex, personalized, interactive cognitive-behavioral-based self-help programs, to videoconferencing, self-help support groups, blogging, and professional-led online therapy. Future trends in online interventions include the greater prevalence of online therapy and the use of video chat and videoconferencing technologies to enhance and extend the therapeutic relationship. The use of texting or short message service (SMS), mobile communications, smart phone applications, gaming, and virtual worlds extends the intervention paradigm into new environments not always previously considered as intervention opportunities. We find that there is strong evidence to support the effective use and future development of a variety of online mental health applications.
The therapeutic relationship in e-therapy for mental health: a systematic review
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2012
Background: E-therapy is defined as a licensed mental health care professional providing mental health services via e-mail, video conferencing, virtual reality technology, chat technology, or any combination of these. The use of e-therapy has been rapidly expanding in the last two decades, with growing evidence suggesting that the provision of mental health services over the Internet is both clinically efficacious and cost effective. Yet there are still unanswered concerns about e-therapy, including whether it is possible to develop a successful therapeutic relationship over the Internet in the absence of nonverbal cues. Objective: Our objective in this study was to systematically review the therapeutic relationship in e-therapy. Methods: We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL through August 2011. Information on study methods and results was abstracted independently by the authors using a standardized form. Results: From the 840 reviewed studies, only 11 (1.3%) investigated the therapeutic relationship. The majority of the reviewed studies were focused on the therapeutic alliance-a central element of the therapeutic relationship. Although the results do not allow firm conclusions, they indicate that e-therapy seems to be at least equivalent to face-to-face therapy in terms of therapeutic alliance, and that there is a relationship between the therapeutic alliance and e-therapy outcome. Conclusions: Overall, the current literature on the role of therapeutic relationship in e-therapy is scant, and much more research is needed to understand the therapeutic relationship in online environments.
Web-based depression treatment: Associations of clients׳ word use with adherence and outcome
Journal of Affective Disorders, 2014
Background: The growing number of web-based psychological treatments, based on textual communication, generates a wealth of data that can contribute to knowledge of online and face-to-face treatments. We investigated whether clients' language use predicted treatment outcomes and adherence in Master Your Mood (MYM), an online group course for young adults with depressive symptoms. Methods: Among 234 participants from a randomised controlled trial of MYM, we tested whether their word use on course application forms predicted baseline levels of depression, anxiety and mastery, or subsequent treatment adherence. We then analysed chat session transcripts of course completers (n ¼67) to investigate whether word use changes predicted changes in treatment outcomes. Results: Depression improvement was predicted by increasing use of 'discrepancy words' during treatment (e.g. should). At baseline, more discrepancy words predicted higher mastery level. Adherence was predicted by more words used at application, more social words and fewer discrepancy words. Limitations: Many variables were included, increasing the chance of coincidental results. This risk was constrained by examining only those word categories that have been investigated in relation to depression or adherence. Conclusions: This is the first study to link word use during treatment to outcomes of treatment that has proven to be effective in an RCT. The results suggest that paying attention to the length of problem articulation at application and to 'discrepancy words' may be wise, as these seem to be psychological markers. To expand knowledge of word use as psychological marker, research on web-based treatment should include text analysis.
Impact of Exchanges and Client–Therapist Alliance in Online-Text Psychotherapy
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2013
The impact of exchanges and client-therapist alliance of online therapy text exchanges were compared to previously published results in face-to-face therapy, and the moderating effects of four participant factors found significant in previously published face-to-face studies were investigated using statistical mixed-effect modeling analytic techniques. Therapists (N = 30) and clients (N = 30) engaged in online therapy were recruited from private practitioner sites, e-clinics, online counseling centers, and mental-health-related discussion boards. In a naturalistic design, they each visited an online site weekly and completed the standard impact and alliance questionnaires for at least 6 weeks. Results indicated that the impact of exchanges and client-therapist alliance in text therapy was similar to, but in some respects more positive than, previous evaluations of face-to-face therapy. The significance of participant factors previously found to influence impact and alliance in face-to-face therapy (client symptom severity, social support, therapist theoretical orientation, and therapist experience) was not replicated, except that therapists with the more symptomatic clients rated their text exchanges as less smooth and comfortable. Although its small size and naturalistic design impose limitations on sensitivity and generalizability, this study provides some insights into treatment impact and the alliance in online therapy.
Patient Education and Counseling, 2011
Objective: To describe the latest evidence of effectiveness and impact of networked communication interventions for young people with mental health conditions. Methods: Searching five databases from 2009 onwards, we included studies of any design investigating two-way communication interventions for the treatment of young people (mean age 1225) with a chronic mental health disorder. The data were synthesised using narrative summary. Results: Six studies met the inclusion criteria, covering a range of mental health conditions (depression, psychosis, OCD). Interventions included an online chat room (n ¼ 2), videoconferencing (n ¼ 3) and telephone (n ¼ 1). Where studies compared two groups, equivalence or a statistically significant improvement in symptoms was observed compared to control. Views of patients and clinicians included impact on the patient-clinician interaction. Clinicians did not feel it hindered their diagnostic ability. Conclusion: Networked communication technologies show promise in the treatment of young people with mental health problems but the current available evidence remains limited and the evidence base has not advanced much since the previous inception of this review in 2011. Practice implications: Although the available research is generally positive, robust evidence relating to the provision of care for young persons via these technologies is lacking and healthcare providers should be mindful of this.
BMC Psychiatry, 2011
Background: As in other countries worldwide, the prevalence of mental disorders in Germany is high. Although numerically a dense network of in-and outpatient psychiatric health services exists, the availability in rural and remote regions is insufficient. In rural regions, telemedical concepts can be a chance to unburden and complement the existing healthcare system. Telemedical concepts consisting of video or telephone consulting show first positive results, but there are only a few studies with a randomized controlled design. To improve the treatment of patients with mental disorders in rural regions, we developed a telemedical care concept based on telephone contacts and text-messages. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of the telemedical interventions on psychopathological outcomes, e. g. anxiety, depressive symptoms, and somatisation. Secondary objective of the study is the analysis of intervention effects on the frequency of medical contacts with healthcare services. Furthermore, the frequency of patients' crises and the frequency and kind of interventions, initiated by the project nurses will be evaluated. We will also evaluate the acceptance of the telemedical care concept by the patients. Methods/Design: In this paper we describe a three-armed, randomized, controlled study. All participants are recruited from psychiatric day hospitals. The inclusion criteria are a specialist-diagnosed depression, anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder or a somatoform disorder and eligibility to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria are ongoing outpatient psychotherapy, planned interval treatment at the day clinic and expected recurrent suicidality and self-injuring behaviour. The interventions consist of regular patient-individual telephone consultations or telephone consultations with complementing text-messages on the patients' mobile phone. The interventions will be conducted during a time period of 6 months.