Exploring the Perspectives of Canadian Clinicians Regarding Digitally Delivered Psychotherapies Utilized for Trauma-Affected Populations

Abstract

Many clinical sites shifted towards digital delivery of mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still much to learn regarding tailoring digitally delivered interventions for trauma-affected populations. The current study examined the perceptions of Canadian mental health clinicians who provided digitally delivered psychotherapies utilized for trauma-affected populations. Specifically, we explored the shift to digital health use, what changed with this rapid shift, what needs, problems, and solutions arose, and important future considerations associated with delivering trauma-focused and adjunct treatments digitally. Survey data were collected from 12 Canadian mental health clinician participants. Surveys were adapted from the Alberta Quality Matrix of Health and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model. As a follow-up, the participants were invited to participate in either a semi-structured qualitative interview or focus group to further explore their perspectives on digitally delivered trauma-focused and adjunct therapies. Twenty-four clinician participants partook in an interview or focus group. The participants in this study supported the use of digitally delivered psychotherapies utilized for trauma-affected populations, sharing that these interventions appeared to offer similar quality of care to in-person delivery. Further research is required to address clinicians' concerns with digital delivery (e.g., patient safety) and identify other avenues in which digitally delivered psychotherapies utilized for trauma-affected populations can be engaged with and improved upon.

Keywords: access to therapies; health services; implementation science; military; psychotherapy; public safety personnel; trauma; trauma-focused psychotherapy; veteran; web-based intervention.

Figure 1

Box and whisker plots indicating clinician participant (n = 12) median AQMH survey scores, first and third quartiles, and minimum and maximum scores. Blue refers to digital delivery; orange refers to in-person delivery. ● indicates outlier.

Figure 2

Box and whisker plots indicating clinician participant (n = 12) median UTAUT construct scores, first and third quartiles, and minimum and maximum scores. * = significant difference (p < 0.05) between median score and a reference score of 12 (total score of three questions asked based on a Likert scale from 1 to 7) based on one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test, corrected for multiple comparisons. ● indicates outlier.