Psychotherapy by Telephone or Internet in Austria and Germany Which CBT Psychotherapists Rate It more Comparable to Face-to-Face Psychotherapy in Personal Contact and Have more Positive Actual Experiences Compared to Previous Expectations?

Objectives: COVID-19 has led to changes in the provision in mental health services. The current study investigated influencing factors on: (i) the comparability of psychotherapy via internet/telephone with psychotherapy in face-to-face contact as well as (ii) the actual experience with psychotherapy via internet/telephone compared to respective prior expectations in CBT therapists. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in the form of an online survey. The research samples, registered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) psychotherapists in Austria and Germany, were contacted by e-mail. Results: One hundred and ninety CBT therapists were analyzed in this study. The total number of patients treated via telephone/internet is a decisive factor for the subjective evaluation of the comparability of psychotherapy via telephone/internet and psychotherapy in personal contact. This factor also influences the extent (positive/negative) of the assessment of the actual experience with psychotherapy via internet/telephone compared to previous expectations. Neither age nor gender were associated with comparability of psychotherapy via internet/telephone with psychotherapy in face-to-face contact or the actual experience with psychotherapy via internet/telephone compared to respective prior expectations. Conclusions: Implications of the results are that attitudes towards remote psychotherapy might be increased in CBT therapists when they treat more patients remotely and experiences with remote psychotherapies should be included in psychotherapy training.