Efficacy, Efficiency, and Ethics in the Provision of Telepsychology Services: Emerging Applications for International Workers

Abstract

Computers and the Internet ushered humanity into a new era in the late 1900s—information on a variety of topics became widely available to the general public, and it became suddenly possible for individuals to communicate with one another instantaneously regardless of each person's geographical location. According to some, the evolution of technology has outpaced humanity's ability to learn how to manage technology properly, and this appears particularly true in the field of psychology. Instant messaging, social media sites, and video conferencing have all influenced the ways in which counselors and clients can interact. Questions remain, however, about the use of this technology. This paper addresses some of those questions by considering whether or not telepsychology is effective when it is used to conduct therapy and the circumstances under which a counselor might use a technological medium to provide such services. A review of some ethical considerations related to the use of technology in the service of providing therapeutic services is also included, as well as a discussion regarding the specific applicability of telepsychology services to international workers, specifically missionaries, serving abroad.

Ethical Issues in Online Psychotherapy: A Narrative Review

“…A therapist's lack of technological competence and patient and therapist awareness of their respective skills are important issues in this context, as discomfort or fear of using technology is not uncommon [see (73)].…”

“…Technical difficulties and failures are major concerns in this context, possibly leading to frustration and anger, which may be distracting or disturbing [see (73)].…”

“…ContinuedEthical arguments against online psychotherapyNegative influence of technology use 5,7, 10, 20, 47, 54-56, 60, 61, 64, 66, 67, 69, 72, 84-86, 95, 98, 108, 109, 115, 121, 128, 133, 134, 137, 140, 152, 157, 158, 166, 169, 172, 179, 181, 203, 211, 216, 217, 223, 237, 249 Social media 2, 3, 10, 18, 26, 48, 54, 57, 60, 63, 69, 71, 93, 103, 105, 113, 120, 130, 134, 155, 157, 160, 164, 172, 174, 188, 189, 205, 206, 211, 223, 226, 227, 242, 247 Financial gain 9, 23, 25, 27, 30, 44, 45, 49, 58, 59, 72, 76, 81, 85, 90, 92, 100, 102, 103, 117, 120, 126, 130, 144, 164, 169, 180, 186, 189, 208, 224, 226, 241 Loss of therapeutic control16,17,26,28,41,45,48,57,60,63,73,80,86,124,126,130,134,138,164,166,181,196,207,208,211,217,247 Adherence issues10,11,16,20,41,69,75,87,101,103,132,152,154,156,165,169,187,…”

Telemental Health in Rural and Remote Contexts

“…In short, we need to be mindful of potential risks for our clients when working remotely but also to be led by our clients when they are telling us that they have preexisting skills or experiences which promote comfort with the videoconferencing medium. Further guidance for managing risk and safeguarding ethical practice is available from numerous resources (e.g., APA 2013; Drum 2014; Luxton et al 2014a;Regueiro et al 2016;Sansom-Daly et al 2016).…”

Receiving teletherapy in Ireland: The experiences of service users in the public mental health system

“…Although teletherapy has become far more sophisticated in recent decades, telecommunication technologies have mostly been used to complement in‐person sessions—for example, to check on clients' progress between in‐person appointments—rather than as the primary modes of therapy delivery themselves (Martin et al, 2020; Regueiro et al, 2016). Unsurprisingly, the COVID‐19 pandemic saw such technologies becoming more widely used as the primary modes of “socially‐distanced” therapy delivery.…”