A Comparison of Outcome Variables in Psychotherapy: Distance Technology Versus Face -to -Face
In this study, I used three treatment groups and one wait list control group. Clients in each of the three treatment groups received five sessions of psychotherapy. The clients communicated with their therapist through only one mode of communication, face-to-face, two-way audio, or two-way video. Outcome difference scores were derived from pre and post measurements on the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis & Spencer, 1982), Target Complaints (Battle, et al., 1966), and the Global Assessment Scale (Endicott, Spitzer, Fleiss, & Cohen, 1976). Two additional measures, the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (Tracey & Dundon, 1988) and the Therapist Satisfaction Questionnaire (Tracey & Dundon, 1988) were obtained at the end of treatment. These measures were then analyzed across groups to determine if there are any differential effects. A final piece of this study examined the effects of comfort with communication technologies on treatment. The findings of this study will help to provide guidelines for the future use of these technologies in the delivery of psychotherapy.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign