Within teletherapy, email interventions have been studied scarcely. For this reason, this exploratory study aims to characterize the assistance provided by email in a university telepsychology service and to compare the data with the assistance provided by telephone in the same service and period. For this purpose, the records of 81 users assisted via email during the COVID–19 pandemic lockdown in Spain were analyzed. The data were compared with those of the 338 users assisted by telephone in the same period. Despite its many limitations, results indicate high satisfaction with the email modality. Users express that they prefer a preference for using email when they do not feel safe in other ways. We found a lot of variation between the number of emails exchanged and the days that each case was active. Additionally, differences were found with telephone users in aspects such as age (email users being younger) and in a depression screening (email users scoring more positively). This study concludes on the high potential of this channel for the application of certain techniques (e.g., psychoeducation) or for people with certain characteristics.

Despite its impressive evidence base, there is a widening access gap to receiving cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Video conferencing therapy (VCT) offers an effective solution for logistical barriers to treatment, which has been salient throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. However, research concerning the delivery of CBT via VCT for children and young people (CYP) is in its infancy, and clinical outcome data are limited. The aim of this service evaluation was to explore the effectiveness of a VCT CBT intervention for CYP referred from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK. A total of 989 records of CYP who had completed CBT via VCT in 2020 with Healios, a digital mental health company commissioned by the National Health Service (NHS), were examined to determine changes in anxiety, depression and progress towards personalised goals. Routine outcome measures (ROMs) were completed at baseline and endpoint, as well as session by session. Feedback was collected from CYP and their families at the end of treatment. There was a significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression and significant progress towards goals, with pre- to post-effect sizes (Cohen’s d) demonstrating medium to large effects (d=.45 to d=−1.39). Reliable improvement ranged from 31 to 80%, clinical improvement ranged from 33 to 50%, and 25% clinically and reliably improved on at least one measure; 92% reported that they would recommend Healios. This service evaluation demonstrates that Healios’ CBT delivered via VCT is effective for CYP receiving it as part of routine mental health care.

The use of videoconference technology to deliver health care diagnostics and treatment continues to grow at a rapid pace. Telepsychiatry and telepsychology applications are well-accepted by patients and providers, and both diagnostic and treatment outcomes have generally been similar to traditional face-to-face interactions. Preliminary applications of videoconference-based neuropsychological assessment (teleneuropsychology) have yielded promising results in the feasibility and reliability of several standard tests, although large-scale studies are lacking. This investigation was conducted to determine the reliability of video teleconference (VTC) - based neuropsychological assessment using a brief battery of standard neuropsychological tests commonly used in the evaluation of known or suspected dementia. Tests included the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, Digit Span forward and backward, short form Boston Naming Test, Letter and Category Fluency, and Clock Drawing. Tests were administered via VTC and in-person to subjects, counterbalanced using alternate test forms and standard instructions. Two hundred two adult subjects were tested in both rural and urban settings, including 83 with cognitive impairment and 119 healthy controls. We found highly similar results across VTC and in-person conditions, with significant intraclass correlations (mean=.74; range: 0.55–0.91) between test scores. Findings remained consistent in subjects with or without cognitive impairment and in persons with MMSE scores as low as 15. VTC-based neuropsychological testing is a valid and reliable alternative to traditional face-to-face assessment using selected measures. More VTC-based studies using additional tests in different populations are needed to fully explore the utility of this new testing medium. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–6)