Psychotherapy via Internet - Chances and Risks in a Digital World?

Attitudes towards internet-based interventions in psychotherapy among psychotherapists and the public in Austria - A comparative quantitative analysis

Authors

  • Heide Maria Winkler Sigmund Freud Privatuniversität Wien, Fakultät für Psychotherapiewissenschaft
  • Sophie Gattermeyer Sigmund Freud Privatuniversität Wien, Fakultät für Psychologie

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15135/2021.9.2.9-38

Abstract

Attitudes towards internet-based interventions among psychotherapists and the public are essential for the acceptance and the use of online interventions in psychotherapeutic practice. The aim of the present quantitative study is a comparative analysis of the attitudes towards potential advantages, disadvantages and framework conditions of online interventions in psychotherapy among psychotherapists and the public in Austria. The online survey was conducted by questionnaire in June 2020. At the same time, due to the covid pandemic, videoconferencing systems for psychotherapy were allowed for the first time in Austria and supported by health insurances. The results of the study show that both psychotherapists and the public see the flexibility and complementary use of online interventions as the most significant advantages of online interventions. Limitations compared to face-to-face therapy are seen by professionals and the public in a reduced inclusion of non-verbal communication, an increased isolation of patients and the lack of a protected space. Both, psychotherapists and the public, see the voluntary nature of the application, the guarantee of data protection and legal security, and the financial support by health insurance companies as the most important framework conditions for the application of Internet-based interventions.

 

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2021-12-22

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