Discussion 5

Discussion 5

At this point of the Masters Thesis process via the Capstone, you should be very familiar with your research and the specifics of your findings. Briefly remind the class what your topic is and provide your hypothesis(es)/research question. What do you think of your topic? Are you happy with your choice of topic and your predictions? Are you pleased with your decision to do a review or empirical project? What was the hardest part of the process so far, and what part did you like the most? Why? Would you do anything differently? How do you feel about your results, specifically (e. g., do you believe them? Do you understand them? Can you explain them? etc).

Please use the information below (Protocol II) to guide your method section for review studies. Formulate data analysis plan

Please continue the protocol you started last term. This time you will focus on assessing study quality. Things to consider along with any others you think of, or come across in your readings: sample size, sample representativeness, publication date, reliability of measures, validity of methods.

Copy and paste this into a MS word document and complete it, then submit it to the drop box.

1.

I. Quality assessment

What criteria will be used to assess methodological quality (e. g., minimum sample size? Experimental design quality? Longitudinal design quality - if relevant; measures were all reliable and valid, per-reviewed, etc.)??

______________ The study will only consider peer-reviewed articles that relied on measurement tools to obtain data and information. Studies that used randomized controlled trials will be considered. Studies with surveys, interviews, and questionnaires will also be considered. Studies conducted using themes in the determination of their outcomes will equally be considered. The selected studies will be those with subjects who will either be counselors, counselees, individuals with mental health problems, individuals who had experienced mental health problems, adult participants, and children. The selected peer-reviewed articles will be those published between the year 2019 and the year 2024. Studies with sample sizes of less than 3 participants will not be considered for the review. The reliability and validity of the studies will determined by the effectiveness of the listed measurement tools in producing the required data or information and in answering the research questions.

_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How will quality assessment be performed? (I recommend adding a quality column in your word or excel table and putting the evaluation info there; you can also include a paragraph in your method about using only peer-reviewed articles using reliable measures (alpha = .70 or higher) and will evaluate any design issues if there are questions - unequal groups or not enough men, etc.).

_________ Quality assessment will be performed by looking at the measurements used in the study. The research will not consider studies that lack measurement tools in their data extraction. Studies that with narrative reviews with systematic search will be ignored because such studies lack measurement tools. Studies with data that have been extracted using measurements that are applicable or can be generalized in similar scenarios will be considered. Adequate statistical power will be a key consideration in determining the quality of information and data from a study. Studies with sample sizes of less than 3 participants will be ignored.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.

II. Data extraction (E. g., percentages of people from different genders experiencing depression, diagnosed with depression, displaying signs of depression or a variant of depression; raw depression scores or z-scores for depression-related mental illness; number of significant differences found across genders, et. Tell a good story, but a true and accurate one, with your data).

What are the key data to be extracted?

__ This study will consider the results of the studies under review. There will be a need to consider the results in terms of meeting the research goals and answering the research questions. For instance, it will be important to determine whether a study meets its stated hypothesis. As for qualitative studies, the themes will be analyzed to determine whether they correspond to the aims of the studies.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How will data extraction be performed, and how will extracted data be presented? (Again, I recommend a table but depending on what you are showing, a graph could be interesting to show different symptoms - oh, an

The graph shows measurements and the number of studies that were extracted for each category. The data from the 15 studies were extracted using this guideline.

Number of studies and Measurements

Number of studies Study themes Randomized controls Interviews Online survey onlne therapy 2 1 6 2 4 Series 2 Study themes Randomized controls Interviews Online survey onlne therapy Series 3 Study themes Randomized controls Interviews Online survey onlne therapy

2

Online versus In-Person Counseling: A Review of Existing Studies

Narration of the Box Score Table

Martha Ramsey

Saint Leo University

Capsthesis/Capstone Project II: PSY 695

Instructor Lara Ault

April 9, 2024

Online versus In-Person Counseling: A Review of Existing Studies

A number of researchers have tried to find out about patients' and therapists' opinions as well as their own experiences with utilizing online therapy. In their study, Khan et al. (2021) put forward virtual counselors who had presented online therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. With that process, the mental health counselors encountered different feelings like embracing or being stuck to the online services. Moreover, Zerem et al. (2021) conducted interviews among six online patients who rated high satisfaction levels with the online treatments.

These are a few qualitative studies that explored particular themes more deeply. Tuna and Avci (2023) had telephonic interviews with 15 counselors, and they learned about the way that online counseling differs from face-to-face counseling. The understanding point was the necessity to change tools for building relationships and reading without the facial to facial contact. The research was conducted by Posselt et al. (2024), and their target population was a community of 17 patients who revealed their opinion on the effectiveness performance of using virtual platforms compared to in-person therapies.

Looking at the quantitative results of various studies assessment revealed positive treatment results. Sockalingam et al. (2024) conducted a study of surgery patients and reported they had a considerable degree of mental distress alleviation under insurance-based treatment. In their works, compelling evidence was published by Westerhof et al. (2019) and Ierardi et al. (2022). They both found trial study groups that had online therapy were, as compared to control groups that received no treatment, highly effective in treating depression symptoms. Greenwood et al. (2022) went for the next step, which was the conduct of a randomized controlled trial indicating the ability to apply cognitive behavioral therapy online to treat mental health concerns successfully.

Other than the patient reactions and the therapist's feedback, along with the outcomes of the therapy, the different research areas are also included. The study et al. (2024) was to map out 18 therapists' challenges when planning online treatment. One of the challenges faced was the need for in-person rapport and the ability to show flexibility in the learning environment. Békés et al. (2021) performed a survey of over 1,000 therapists, and they discovered that the therapists had their own opinions and quality concerns relating to online treatment modalities. Moreover, Ncheka et al. (2022) examined the young university students' perceptions of mental health impact and counseling necessities due to the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.

Just as several studies produced some notable results, others have had mixed reviews. The researchers have discovered two critical points concerning online therapy that were established during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include improved accessibility and continuity within inpatient mental healthcare. A study found that patients who were put in place remotely reduced psychological distress of hematology patients unable to meet with counselors at the hospital in person. Lastly, Renn et al. (2019) suggested that patients would opt for a variety of means, such as online and in-person therapy, depending on their circumstances. Such diversity would be a drawback from preferences to factors such as anxiety and availability.

The research conveys, in a nutshell, the predominant views of the therapy delivered online to both patients and therapists. Studies were aimed at using an array of qualitative and quantitative tools to fully rate the effectiveness of emerging telehealth services. Even with the challenges, online modalities prove to be an excellent tool in the process of providing mental healthcare conveniently, using technology to improve the quality of healthcare.

References

Békés, V., Aafjes-van Doorn, K., Luo, X., Prout, T. A., & Hoffman, L. (2021). Psychotherapists' challenges with online therapy during COVID-19: Concerns about connectedness predict therapists' negative view of online therapy and its perceived efficacy over time. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 705699. Doi:  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.705699

Greenwood, H., Krzyzaniak, N., Peiris, R., Clark, J., Scott, A. M., Cardona, M., ... & Glasziou, P. (2022). Telehealth versus face-to-face psychotherapy for less common mental health conditions: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JMIR Mental Health, 9(3), e31780. DOI: 10.2196/31780

Ierardi, E., Bottini, M., & Riva Crugnola, C. (2022). Effectiveness of an online versus face-to- face psychodynamic counselling intervention for university students before and during the COVID-19 period. BMC Psychology, 10(1), 1-10. Retrieved from https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-022-00742-7

Khan, S., Shapka, J. D., & Domene, J. F. (2021). Counsellors' experiences of online therapy. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 50(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1885009

Last, B. S., Mirhashem, R., & Yang, Y. (2024). From plan to practice: A qualitative study of public mental health therapists' session-planning practices. Psychological Services. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000840

Ncheka, J. M., Menon, J. A., E Bethan Davies, Paul, R., Mwaba, S. O. C., Mudenda, J., Wharrad, H., Tak, H., & Glazebrook, C. (2024). Implementing internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (mood gym) for African students with symptoms of low mood during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative feasibility study. BMC Psychiatry, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05542-4

Posselt, J., Baumann, E., & Dierks, M.-L. (2024). A qualitative interview study of patients' attitudes towards and intention to use digital interventions for depressive disorders on prescription. Frontiers in Digital Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2024.1275569

Professionals. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 272(1), 107–

Renn, B. N., Hoeft, T. J., Lee, H. S., Bauer, A. M., & Areán, P. A. (2019). Preference for in- person psychotherapy versus digital psychotherapy options for depression: a survey of adults in the US. NPJ digital medicine, 2(1), 6. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-019-0077-1

Sander, J., Bolinski, F., Diekmann, S., Gaebel, W., Günther, K., Hauth, I., Heinz, A., Kleiboer, A., Riper, H., Trost, N., Vlijter, O., Zielasek, J., & Gerlinger, G. (2021). Online therapy: an added value for inpatient routine care? Perspectives from mental health care

professionals. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 272(1), 107–

118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-021-01251-1

Schuster, R., Topooco, N., Keller, A., Radvogin, E., & Laireiter, A. R. (2020). Advantages and disadvantages of online and blended therapy: Replication and extension of findings on psychotherapists' appraisals. Internet Interventions, 21, 100326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2020.100326

Sockalingam, S., Leung, S. E., Ma, C., Hawa, R., Wnuk, S., Dash, S., Jackson, T., & Cassin, S.

E. (2022). The impact of telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy on mental health distress and disordered eating among bariatric surgery patients during COVID-19: Preliminary results from a multisite randomized controlled trial. Obesity Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-022-05981-6

Tuna, B., & Avci, O. H. (2023). Qualitative analysis of university counselors' online counseling experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04358-x

Westerhof, G. J., Lamers, S. M. A., Postel, M. G., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2019). Online Therapy for Depressive Symptoms: An Evaluation of Counselor-Led and Peer-Supported Life Review Therapy. The Gerontologist, 59(1), 135–146. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx140

Xie, M., Wang, C., Li, Z., Xu, W., Wang, Y., Wu, Y., & Hu, R. (2023). Effects of remote dignity therapy on mental health among patients with hematologic neoplasms and their significant others: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 104668–104668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104668

Zeren, G., Erus, S. M., Amanvermez, Y., Genç, A. B., & Baki, D. U. Y. (2022). Client's Experiences of Online Counseling: Satisfaction and Therapeutic Alliance. Cukurova University Faculty of Education Journal, 51(1), 634-658. https://doi.org/10.14812/cuefd.843542