Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic
Abstract Background While the COVID-19 crisis has had numerous global negative impacts, it has also presented an imperative for mental health care systems to make digital mental health interventions a part of routine care. Accordingly, through necessity, many Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) prog...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-023-00221-4 |
| _version_ | 1797823050218995712 |
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| author | Carla J. Walton Sharleen Gonzalez Emily B. Cooney Lucy Leigh Stuart Szwec |
| author_facet | Carla J. Walton Sharleen Gonzalez Emily B. Cooney Lucy Leigh Stuart Szwec |
| author_sort | Carla J. Walton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background While the COVID-19 crisis has had numerous global negative impacts, it has also presented an imperative for mental health care systems to make digital mental health interventions a part of routine care. Accordingly, through necessity, many Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) programs transitioned to telehealth, despite little information on clinical outcomes compared with face-to-face treatment delivery. This study examined differences in client engagement (i.e. attendance) of DBT: delivered face-to-face prior to the first COVID-19 lockdown in Australia and New Zealand; delivered via telehealth during the lockdown; and delivered post-lockdown. Our primary outcomes were to compare: [1] client attendance rates of DBT individual therapy delivered face-to-face with delivery via telehealth, and [2] client attendance rates of DBT skills training delivered face-to-face compared with delivery via telehealth. Methods DBT programs across Australia and New Zealand provided de-identified data for a total of 143 individuals who received DBT treatment provided via telehealth or face-to-face over a six-month period in 2020. Data included attendance rates of DBT individual therapy sessions; attendance rates of DBT skills training sessions as well as drop-out rates and First Nations status of clients. Results A mixed effects logistic regression model revealed no significant differences between attendance rates for clients attending face-to-face sessions or telehealth sessions for either group therapy or individual therapy. This result was found for clients who identified as First Nations persons and those who didn’t identify as First Nations persons. Conclusions Clients were as likely to attend their DBT sessions over telehealth as they were face-to-face during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. These findings provide preliminary evidence that providing DBT over telehealth may be a viable option to increase access for clients, particularly in areas where face-to-face treatment is not available. Further, based on the data collected in this study, we can be less concerned that offering telehealth treatment will compromise attendance rates compared to face-to-face treatment. Further research is needed comparing clinical outcomes between treatments delivered face-to-face compared delivery via telehealth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:17:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eebf697ac9cb437fa0b44de0532bb44b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2051-6673 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:17:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation |
| spelling | doaj.art-eebf697ac9cb437fa0b44de0532bb44b2023-05-21T11:09:08ZengBMCBorderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation2051-66732023-05-0110111210.1186/s40479-023-00221-4Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemicCarla J. Walton0Sharleen Gonzalez1Emily B. Cooney2Lucy Leigh3Stuart Szwec4Centre for Psychotherapy, Hunter New England Mental Health ServiceCentre for Psychotherapy, Hunter New England Mental Health ServiceDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Wellington Medical School, University of Otago (Te WhareData Sciences Unit, Hunter Medical Research InstituteData Sciences Unit, Hunter Medical Research InstituteAbstract Background While the COVID-19 crisis has had numerous global negative impacts, it has also presented an imperative for mental health care systems to make digital mental health interventions a part of routine care. Accordingly, through necessity, many Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) programs transitioned to telehealth, despite little information on clinical outcomes compared with face-to-face treatment delivery. This study examined differences in client engagement (i.e. attendance) of DBT: delivered face-to-face prior to the first COVID-19 lockdown in Australia and New Zealand; delivered via telehealth during the lockdown; and delivered post-lockdown. Our primary outcomes were to compare: [1] client attendance rates of DBT individual therapy delivered face-to-face with delivery via telehealth, and [2] client attendance rates of DBT skills training delivered face-to-face compared with delivery via telehealth. Methods DBT programs across Australia and New Zealand provided de-identified data for a total of 143 individuals who received DBT treatment provided via telehealth or face-to-face over a six-month period in 2020. Data included attendance rates of DBT individual therapy sessions; attendance rates of DBT skills training sessions as well as drop-out rates and First Nations status of clients. Results A mixed effects logistic regression model revealed no significant differences between attendance rates for clients attending face-to-face sessions or telehealth sessions for either group therapy or individual therapy. This result was found for clients who identified as First Nations persons and those who didn’t identify as First Nations persons. Conclusions Clients were as likely to attend their DBT sessions over telehealth as they were face-to-face during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. These findings provide preliminary evidence that providing DBT over telehealth may be a viable option to increase access for clients, particularly in areas where face-to-face treatment is not available. Further, based on the data collected in this study, we can be less concerned that offering telehealth treatment will compromise attendance rates compared to face-to-face treatment. Further research is needed comparing clinical outcomes between treatments delivered face-to-face compared delivery via telehealth.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-023-00221-4Dialectical Behaviour TherapyTelehealthTelemedicineFace-to-faceCovid-19Attendance |
| spellingShingle | Carla J. Walton Sharleen Gonzalez Emily B. Cooney Lucy Leigh Stuart Szwec Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Telehealth Telemedicine Face-to-face Covid-19 Attendance |
| title | Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Engagement over telehealth: comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face-to-face and via telehealth for programs in Australia and New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | engagement over telehealth comparing attendance between dialectical behaviour therapy delivered face to face and via telehealth for programs in australia and new zealand during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Telehealth Telemedicine Face-to-face Covid-19 Attendance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-023-00221-4 |
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