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Psychotherapy via the Internet: What Programs Do Psychotherapists Use, How Well-Informed Do They Feel, and What Are Their Wishes for Continuous Education?

Author

Listed:
  • Elke Humer

    (Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria)

  • Peter Stippl

    (Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy, 1030 Vienna, Austria)

  • Christoph Pieh

    (Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria)

  • Wolfgang Schimböck

    (Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy, 1030 Vienna, Austria
    Viktor Frankl Education Austria (ABILE), 3390 Melk, Austria)

  • Thomas Probst

    (Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria)

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the provision of psychotherapy around the world. The common format of delivering in-person psychotherapy is replaced by psychotherapy via the Internet to a great extent. This study examined how well Austrian psychotherapists feel informed about the use of the Internet in psychotherapy, where additional information needs exist, and which software is used. A link to an online survey was sent to all psychotherapists providing a valid email address in the official list of licensed psychotherapists at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria. A total of 1547 people took part in the survey. The results show that psychotherapy via the Internet was primarily offered via Skype and Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the majority of the therapists felt well-informed about psychotherapy via the Internet; however, several therapists stated that they wish to have further information on data protection and security. Overall, the study shows that Austrian psychotherapists coped well with the rapid change from the provision of psychotherapy through personal contact to psychotherapy via the Internet. Security and data protection aspects of therapy via the Internet should be addressed in training and further education of psychotherapists. As this study was conducted online, it might have caused some respondent bias towards a higher participation of psychotherapists with higher preference for new technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Elke Humer & Peter Stippl & Christoph Pieh & Wolfgang Schimböck & Thomas Probst, 2020. "Psychotherapy via the Internet: What Programs Do Psychotherapists Use, How Well-Informed Do They Feel, and What Are Their Wishes for Continuous Education?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-9, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8182-:d:440488
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicole Korecka & Rafael Rabenstein & Christoph Pieh & Peter Stippl & Antonia Barke & Bettina Doering & Katharina Gossmann & Elke Humer & Thomas Probst, 2020. "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 Experie," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-11, October.
    2. Thomas Probst & Peter Stippl & Christoph Pieh, 2020. "Changes in Provision of Psychotherapy in the Early Weeks of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Austria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-10, May.
    3. Elke Humer & Christoph Pieh & Martin Kuska & Antonia Barke & Bettina K. Doering & Katharina Gossmann & Radek Trnka & Zdenek Meier & Natalia Kascakova & Peter Tavel & Thomas Probst, 2020. "Provision of Psychotherapy during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Czech, German and Slovak Psychotherapists," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-15, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stefanie Winter & Andrea Jesser & Thomas Probst & Yvonne Schaffler & Ida-Maria Kisler & Barbara Haid & Christoph Pieh & Elke Humer, 2023. "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affects the Provision of Psychotherapy: Results from Three Online Surveys on Austrian Psychotherapists," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, January.
    2. Nicola Di Fazio & Giuseppe Delogu & Donato Morena & Eugenia Carfora & Dalila Tripi & Raffaella Rinaldi & Paola Frati & Vittorio Fineschi, 2024. "Telehealth Intervention: A Proposal for a Telemedicine Manual to Ascertain the Civil Disability Status in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(3), pages 1-10, February.
    3. Elke Humer & Barbara Haid & Wolfgang Schimböck & Andrea Reisinger & Marion Gasser & Heidrun Eichberger-Heckmann & Peter Stippl & Christoph Pieh & Thomas Probst, 2021. "Provision of Psychotherapy One Year after the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-10, May.
    4. Elke Humer & Wolfgang Schimböck & Ida-Maria Kisler & Petra Schadenhofer & Christoph Pieh & Thomas Probst, 2020. "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changes the Subjective Perception of Meaning Related to Different Areas of Life in Austrian Psychotherapists and Patients," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-12, November.

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