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Expectations, experiences and attitudes of patients and primary care health professionals regarding online psychotherapeutic interventions for depression: protocol for a qualitative study.

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Date

2013-02-20

Authors

Montero-Marín, Jesús
Carrasco, José Miguel
Roca, Miquel
Serrano-Blanco, Antoni
Gili, Margalida
Mayoral, Fermin
Luciano, Juan V
Lopez-del-Hoyo, Yolanda
Olivan, Barbara
Collazo, Francisco

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BioMed Central
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Abstract

BACKGROUND In the year 2020, depression will cause the second highest amount of disability worldwide. One quarter of the population will suffer from depression symptoms at some point in their lives. Mental health services in Western countries are overburdened. Therefore, cost-effective interventions that do not involve mental health services, such as online psychotherapy programs, have been proposed. These programs demonstrate satisfactory outcomes, but the completion rate for patients is low. Health professionals' attitudes towards this type of psychotherapy are more negative than the attitudes of depressed patients themselves. The aim of this study is to describe the profile of depressed patients who would benefit most from online psychotherapy and to identify expectations, experiences, and attitudes about online psychotherapy among both patients and health professionals that can facilitate or hinder its effects. METHODS A parallel qualitative design will be used in a randomised controlled trial on the efficiency of online psychotherapeutic treatment for depression. Through interviews and focus groups, the experiences of treated patients, their reasons for abandoning the program, the expectations of untreated patients, and the attitudes of health professionals will be examined. Questions will be asked about training in new technologies, opinions of online psychotherapy, adjustment to therapy within the daily routine, the virtual and anonymous relationship with the therapist, the process of online communication, information necessary to make progress in therapy, process of working with the program, motivations and attitudes about treatment, expected consequences, normalisation of this type of therapy in primary care, changes in the physician-patient relationship, and resources and risks. A thematic content analysis from the grounded theory for interviews and an analysis of the discursive positions of participants based on the sociological model for focus groups will be performed. DISCUSSION Knowledge of the expectations, experiences, and attitudes of both patients and medical personnel regarding online interventions for depression can facilitate the implementation of this new psychotherapeutic tool. This qualitative investigation will provide thorough knowledge of the perceptions, beliefs, and values of patients and clinicians, which will be very useful for understanding how to implement this intervention method for depression.

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Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't;

MeSH Terms

Medical Subject Headings::Psychiatry and Psychology::Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms::Attitude::Attitude to Computers
Medical Subject Headings::Health Care::Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation::Delivery of Health Care::Attitude to Health
Medical Subject Headings::Psychiatry and Psychology::Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms::Behavior::Behavioral Symptoms::Depression
Medical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Epidemiologic Methods::Data Collection::Interviews as Topic::Focus Groups
Medical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::Animals::Chordata::Vertebrates::Mammals::Primates::Haplorhini::Catarrhini::Hominidae::Humans
Medical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Epidemiologic Methods::Data Collection::Interviews as Topic
Medical Subject Headings::Health Care::Health Care Facilities, Manpower, and Services::Health Personnel::Physicians::Physicians, Primary Care
Medical Subject Headings::Psychiatry and Psychology::Behavioral Disciplines and Activities::Psychotherapy
Medical Subject Headings::Disciplines and Occupations::Natural Science Disciplines::Science::Research::Empirical Research::Qualitative Research
Medical Subject Headings::Health Care::Health Services Administration::Patient Care Management::Delivery of Health Care::Telemedicine
Medical Subject Headings::Health Care::Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation::Delivery of Health Care::Attitude of Health Personnel

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Keywords

Depression, Online psychotherapy, Internet-based treatment, Protocol, Qualitative study, Actitud ante los ordenadores, Actitud ante la salud, Depresion, Grupos focales, Entrevistas como asunto, Médicos de atención primaria, Telemedicina, Actitud del personal sanitario

Citation

Montero-Marín J, Carrasco JM, Roca M, Serrano-Blanco A, Gili M, Mayoral F, et al. Expectations, experiences and attitudes of patients and primary care health professionals regarding online psychotherapeutic interventions for depression: protocol for a qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry. 2013; 13:64