SynthesisJournal of affective disorders2020
Are there interactional differences between telephone and face-to-face psychological therapy? A systematic review of comparative studies.
Synthesis in Journal of affective disorders, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Living through the psychological consequences of COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review of effective mitigating interventions.BMJ open · 2022Pooled it
- Nurse-delivered sleep restriction therapy to improve insomnia disorder in primary care: the HABIT RCT.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2024Trial
- Nurse-delivered sleep restriction therapy in primary care for adults with insomnia disorder: a mixed-methods process evaluation.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2024Trial
- Enhancing the quality of psychological interventions delivered by telephone in mental health services: increasing the likelihood of successful implementation using a theory of change.BMC psychiatry · 2023Trial
- Effect of Problem-solving Treatment on Self-reported Disability Among Veterans With Gulf War Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2022Trial
- The interactive work of narrative elicitation in person-centred care: Analysis of phone conversations between health care professionals and patients with common mental disorders.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2022Trial
- Trial
- Article
- Avatar-Mediated Telepsychotherapy in a Metaverse-Informed Virtual Environment: Qualitative Study of User Experiences and Design Requirements.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Process Evaluation of a Problem-Solving Intervention with Workplace Involvement for Employees on Sickness Absence Due to Common Mental Disorders in Swedish Primary Health Care.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Accessibility and responsiveness of Better Access treatment services: Insights from the use of linked administrative data in the evaluation of Better Access.The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry · 2026Article
- Cancer and Ageing Reflections for Elders (CARE): Australian Adaptation of a Psychotherapy for Older Adults With Cancer.Psycho-oncology · 2026Article
- Article
- The therapeutic alliance during remotely delivered therapy: A Delphi study with health professionals.The British journal of clinical psychology · 2025Article
- A comparison of the impact of nurse-led education and telehealth interventions on mental health outcomes for ambulatory patients in Saudi Arabia.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Behavioural activation for low mood and anxiety in male frontline NHS workers (BALM): a pre-post intervention study.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Comparison of quit rates among exclusive cigarette smokers at Tobacco Control Center in Qatar: telephone versus face-to-face consultation.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Learn to Live Again: A Pilot Study to Support Women Experiencing Domestic Violence.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Uses of Virtual Care in Primary Care: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Article
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDespite comparable clinical outcomes, therapists and patients express reservations about the delivery of psychological therapy by telephone. These concerns centre around the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the ability to exercise professional skill and judgement in the absence of visual cues. However, the empirical evidence base for such perceptions has not been clearly established.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review to establish what is known empirically about interactional differences between psychotherapeutic encounters conducted face-to-face vs. by telephone.
resultsThe review identified 15 studies that used situated, comparative approaches to exploring interactional aspects of telephone and face-to-face psychological therapy. These studies revealed evidence of little difference between modes in terms of therapeutic alliance, disclosure, empathy, attentiveness or participation. However, telephone therapy sessions were significantly shorter than those conducted face-to-face. LIMITATIONS: We identified only a small number of heterogeneous studies, many of which used non-randomised, opportunity samples and did not use validated measures to assess the constructs under investigation. Disparate therapeutic modalities were used across studies and samples included both clinically diagnosed and non-clinical populations.
conclusionsAvailable evidence suggests a lack of support for the viewpoint that the telephone has a detrimental effect on interactional aspects of psychological therapy. The challenge for clinical practice is to translate this evidence into a change in practitioner and patient attitudes and behaviours. In order to do so, it is important to understand and address the breadth of factors that underpin ongoing ambivalence towards the telephone mode, which pose a barrier to wider implementation.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.