aussi efficace sinon plus que - programme de thérapie online

“
INNOVATIONS REPORT - FORUM FOR SCIENCE, INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS - 30.07.2013
LA PSYCHOTHÉRAPIE EN LIGNE EST
AUSSI EFFICACE SINON PLUS QUE
LA CONSULTATION EN FACE À FACE
ARTICLE RÉSUMÉ
”
« La psychothérapie en ligne est aussi efficace sinon plus que la consultation en face à face »
Des chercheurs cliniciens de l’Université de Zurich ont fourni la preuve scientifique de la valeur au moins
égale de la psychothérapie sur internet. Même trois mois après la fin de la thérapie, les patients ayant suivi
une thérapie en ligne présentaient moins de symptômes que les patients ayant bénéficié d’un traitement en
face à face.
ARTICLE ORIGINAL
“Psychotherapy via internet as good as if not better than face-to-face consultations”
Online psychotherapy is just as efficient as conventional therapy. Three months after the end of the therapy,
patients given online treatment even displayed fewer symptoms. For the first time, clinical researchers from
the University of Zurich provide scientific evidence of the equal value of internet-based psychotherapy.
Does psychotherapy via the Internet work? For the first time, clinical researchers from the University of Zurich
have studied whether online psychotherapy and conventional face-to-face therapy are equally effective in
experiments. Based on earlier studies, the Zurich team assumed that the two forms of therapy were on a par.
Not only was their theory confirmed, the results for online therapy even exceeded their expectations.
Six therapists treated 62 patients, the majority of whom were suffering from moderate depression. The patients
were divided into two equal groups at random and assigned to one of the therapeutic forms. The treatment
consisted of eight sessions with different established techniques that stem from cognitive behaviour therapy
and could be carried out both orally and in writing. Patients treated online had to perform one predetermined
written task per therapy unit – such as querying their own negative self-image. They were known to the therapist
by name.
Online therapy even more effective in the medium term “In both groups, the depression values fell significantly,”
says Professor Andreas Maercker, summing up the results of the study. At the end of the treatment, no more
depression could be diagnosed in 53 percent of the patients who underwent online therapy – compared to
50 percent for face-to-face therapy. Three months after completing the treatment, the depression in patients
treated online even decreased whereas those treated conventionally only displayed a minimal decline: no
more depression could be detected in 57 percent of patients from online therapy compared to 42 percent
with conventional therapy.
For both patient groups, the degree of satisfaction with the treatment and therapists was more or less equally
high. 96 percent of the patients given online therapy and 91 percent of the recipients of conventional treatment
rated the contact with their therapist as “personal”. In the case of online therapy, the patients tended to use
the therapy contacts and subsequent homework very intensively to progress personally. For instance, they
indicated that they had re-read the correspondence with their therapist from time to time. “In the medium
term, online psychotherapy even yields better results. Our study is evidence that psychotherapeutic services
on the internet are an effective supplement to therapeutic care,” concludes Maercker.
Literature: Birgit Wagner, Andrea B. Horn, Andreas Maercker. Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive
behavioral intervention for depression: A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Journal of Affective
Disorders. July 23, 2013. Doi:10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.032
Prof. Andreas Maercker (bis 31.07.2013)
Psychopathologie und Klinische Intervention
& Psychotherapeutisches Zentrum des
Psychologischen Instituts University of Zurich
Tel. +41 44 635 7310
E-Mail: [email protected]
Dr. Andrea Horn (from 07.31.013)
Psychopathologie und Klinische Intervention
& Psychotherapeutisches Zentrum des
Psychologischen Instituts University of Zurich
Tel. +41 44 635 7309
E-Mail: [email protected]
http://www.mediadesk.uzh.ch/articles/2013/psychotherapie-via-internet-wirkt-gleich-gut-oder-besser-wieim-sprechzimmer_en.html