Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on May 11, 2010
A new small study has discovered treating clinical depression via the telephone is nearly as effective as face-to-face consultations.
Brigham Young University scientists followed 30 people newly diagnosed with major depression.
Instead of eight scheduled visits to the clinic, the participants covered the same material during a series of phone calls with the therapist. Calls varied in length, ranging from 21 to 52 minutes.
The patients did not receive antidepressant medication.
At a six month followup, 42 percent of participants had recovered from depression. For comparison, similar therapy conducted in person has a 50 percent recovery rate.
“Offering a phone or webcam option for psychotherapy does appear warranted from an efficacy point of view,†said Diane Spangler, a BYU psychology professor and a coauthor on the study.
“It’s more user-friendly – no commutes, more flexibility of place and time – and has no side effects.”
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/05/11/telephonic-therapy-effective-for-depression/13701.html
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