Online consultations in mental healthcare during the COVID-19 outbreak: An international survey study on professionals' motivations and perceived barriers

Nele A.J. De Witte; Per Carlbring; Anne Etzelmueller; Tine Nordgreen; Maria Karekla; Lise Haddouk; Angélique Belmont; Svein Øverland; Rudy Abi-Habib; Sylvie Bernaerts; Agostino Brugnera; Angelo Compare; Aranzazu Duque; David Daniel Ebert; Jonas Eimontas; Angelos P. Kassianos; João Salgado; Andreas Schwerdtfeger; Pia Tohme; Eva Van Assche; Tom Van Daele

Internet Interventions (Sep 2021)

Online consultations in mental healthcare during the COVID-19 outbreak: An international survey study on professionals' motivations and perceived barriers

Nele A.J. De Witte,
Per Carlbring,
Anne Etzelmueller,
Tine Nordgreen,
Maria Karekla,
Lise Haddouk,
Angélique Belmont,
Svein Øverland,
Rudy Abi-Habib,
Sylvie Bernaerts,
Agostino Brugnera,
Angelo Compare,
Aranzazu Duque,
David Daniel Ebert,
Jonas Eimontas,
Angelos P. Kassianos,
João Salgado,
Andreas Schwerdtfeger,
Pia Tohme,
Eva Van Assche,
Tom Van Daele

Affiliations

Nele A.J. De Witte: Expertise Unit Psychology, Technology & Society, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
Per Carlbring: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Anne Etzelmueller: GET.ON Institute/HelloBetter, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical, Neuro-, & Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
Tine Nordgreen: Haukeland University Hospital, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Maria Karekla: Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
Lise Haddouk: Department of Psychology, Rouen University, Rouen, France
Angélique Belmont: Union Professionnelle des Psychologues Cliniciens Francophones et Germanophones, Belgium
Svein Øverland: Regional Research Center for Forensic Psychiatry, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
Rudy Abi-Habib: Department of Social Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
Sylvie Bernaerts: Expertise Unit Psychology, Technology & Society, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
Agostino Brugnera: Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
Angelo Compare: Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
Aranzazu Duque: Universidad Internacional de Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Cibersalud, Mallorca, Spain
David Daniel Ebert: GET.ON Institute/HelloBetter, Hamburg, Germany
Jonas Eimontas: Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Angelos P. Kassianos: Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Department of Applied Health Research, UCL, London, United Kingdom
João Salgado: University Institute of Maia - ISMAI, Maia, Portugal; Center of Psychology at University of Porto - CPUP, Porto, Portugal
Andreas Schwerdtfeger: Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Pia Tohme: Department of Social Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
Eva Van Assche: Expertise Unit Psychology, Technology & Society, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
Tom Van Daele: Expertise Unit Psychology, Technology & Society, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 25
p. 100405

Abstract

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Introduction: While the general uptake of e-mental health interventions remained low over the past years, physical distancing and lockdown measures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic created a need and demand for online consultations in only a matter of weeks. Objective: This study investigates the uptake of online consultations provided by mental health professionals during lockdown measures in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the participating countries, with a specific focus on professionals' motivations and perceived barriers regarding online consultations. Methods: An online survey on the use of online consultations was set up in March 2020. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) guided the deductive qualitative analysis of the results. Results: In total, 2082 mental health professionals from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden were included. The results showed a high uptake of online consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic but limited previous training on this topic undergone by mental health professionals. Most professionals reported positive experiences with online consultations, but concerns about the performance of online consultations in a mental health context (e.g., in terms of relational aspects) and practical considerations (e.g., relating to privacy and security of software) appear to be major barriers that hinder implementation. Conclusions: This study provides an overview of the mental health professionals' actual needs and concerns regarding the use of online consultations in order to highlight areas of possible intervention and allow the implementation of necessary governmental, educational, and instrumental support so that online consultations can become a feasible and stable option in mental healthcare.

Published in Internet Interventions

ISSN: 2214-7829 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Technology: Technology (General): Industrial engineering. Management engineering: Information technology; Philosophy. Psychology. Religion: Psychology
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/internet-interventions/

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