NEW PAPER THREAD
Some new musings on #telehealth + losing human-ness in #COVID19:

“Ultimately, comparing FTF w telehealth-delivered psychosocial services is an apples-and-oranges scenario; each modality shines & falters in unique ways.” 1/
https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5462

Here the fab @NatalieKB8 & I reflect on this big global conversation re #telehealth/ #videoconferencing in #COVID19. Much has been said on this (ALL the zoom meetings etc)

But our glitchy-tech grumbles mask other, deeper concerns - about human-ness & what it means to connect 2/

In our online #CBT group program for #AYA cancer survivors, our AYAs were consistently v positive about alliance w therapists + group connections.

BUT therapists grew more positive re AYAs’ openness, trust+motivation as the online program evolved. 3/
https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2017.0001

A few yrs ago my team examined recommendations from 19 global psychological ethical bodies to see what we could all agree upon re #Telehealth. There was a *surprising* degree of variation in the recommendations made. (Guideline quality also varied ++) 4/

http://doi.org/10.2196/mental.5481

We found many diff stances on whether #Telehealth is OK for diff grps. Most guidelines did not actually address at-risk groups (Eg ppl w/ cog impairments, psychosis). Only 6 (32%) considered children/ #AYA & just 1 looked at illness populations. http://doi.org/10.2196/mental.5481 5/

You CAN develop protocols to do this well+safely in #Telehealth. But it requires thought. In our case series of 11 #AYA #cancer survivors we talk processes: How do you manage suicide risk? Or if a young person shows marked flat affect in an online grp? 6/

https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12112

So there are pros/cons, risks & benefits. Worth remembering: #telehealth may help some ppl access psych support who otherwise would not have. In our Recapture Life online #CBT trial 49% were young men- pretty unheard of in #MentalHealth research! https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4938 7/

As a person who also FTF human connection, I don’t deny that tech glitches can take some of the sparkle away. BUT we have needed to do better with #Telehealth for a long time. #COVID19 is (sadly) not going any time soon, so now seems like a good time for us to do this 8/END