Copyright phillyvoice
Texting or emailing with a therapist might provide more relief to people with depression than waiting for an appointment on video-based platforms. That was the hypothesis researchers at the University of Washington used in a new study about the efficacy of messaged-based therapy compared to video-based therapy. They were wrong. Texting did not lead to better outcomes than video conferences with mental health professionals. But the study did show that message-based therapy can be as effective as video sessions. For the study, published Thursday in JAMA Network Open, researchers divided 850 people into two groups randomly assigned to either 12 weeks of unlimited communication with a therapist via text or email or of video therapy through the online mental health platform Talkspace. People in both groups experienced equivalent alleviation of depression and improvements in social interactions and functions. "We found that patients improved at similar rates, regardless of whether they were communicating with their therapist through messaging or live video calls," the study's co-author, Patricia A. Areán, said in a statement. "This supports the use of text-based therapy as a viable, evidence-based way to treat the millions of Americans who experience depression every year." Texting with a therapist was "as good as weekly therapy," Areán, a retired professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told the New York Times. "We didn't really find any differences in the outcomes." The researchers also learned that people were more likely to drop out of video therapy earlier than message-based therapy. But therapists and patients developed stronger relationships, or "greater therapeutic alliance," in video sessions. The findings support the idea of expanding the availability of therapy via email and text and insurance coverage for it, the researchers said. But there are some important caveats, several outside mental health professionals told the Times. For instance, the study did not include people who were at high risk, including those experiencing suicidal thoughts or psychosis. Being able to choose between text and video therapy might be appropriate for people with mild depression or as first-step interventions which lead to further treatment if necessary, doctors not involved in the study told the Times.
