TY - JOUR
KW - Alcoholism/therapy
KW - Attitude of Health Personnel
KW - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods
KW - Communication
KW - Female
KW - Focus Groups
KW - Humans
KW - Internet
KW - Male
KW - Marijuana Abuse/therapy
KW - Qualitative Research
KW - Substance-Related Disorders/therapy
KW - Telemedicine/methods
KW - Time Factors
KW - Alcohol use disorder
KW - Substance use disorder
KW - Therapeutic alliance
KW - Web-based intervention
KW - eHealth
AU - V. Ekström
AU - M. Johansson
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Internet interventions have been developed and tested for several psychiatric and somatic conditions. Few people with substance use disorders receive treatment and many drug users say that they would prefer getting help from online tools. Internet interventions are effective for reducing alcohol and cannabis use. The aim of the current study is to understand differences between internet-based and face-to-face treatment of problematic substance use. The concept of alliance will be used as a theoretical frame for understanding differences between internet-based treatment and face-to-face treatment, as perceived by therapists. METHOD: The study has a qualitative design and is based on 3 focus group interviews with 12 therapists working with internet-based treatment for alcohol or cannabis use problems within five different programs. RESULTS: The analysis revealed five themes in the differences between internet-based and face-to-face treatment: communication, anonymity, time, presence and focus. Treatment online in written and asynchronous form creates something qualitatively different from regular face-to-face meetings between patients and therapists. The written form changes the concept of time in treatment, that is, how time can be used and how it affects the therapist's presence. The asynchronous (i.e. time delayed) form of communication and the lack of facial expressions and body language require special skills. CONCLUSIONS: There are important differences between internet-based treatment and face-to-face treatment. Different aspects of the alliance seem to be important in internet-based treatment compared to face-to-face.
AD - The Department of Social Sciences, Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College, Stockholm, Sweden.; Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. magnus.johansson.1@ki.se.; Stockholm Center for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden. magnus.johansson.1@ki.se.
BT - Addiction science & clinical practice
C5 - Education & Workforce; HIT & Telehealth; Opioids & Substance Use
CP - 1
DO - 10.1186/s13722-019-0173-1
IS - 1
JF - Addiction science & clinical practice
LA - eng
M1 - Journal Article
N2 - BACKGROUND: Internet interventions have been developed and tested for several psychiatric and somatic conditions. Few people with substance use disorders receive treatment and many drug users say that they would prefer getting help from online tools. Internet interventions are effective for reducing alcohol and cannabis use. The aim of the current study is to understand differences between internet-based and face-to-face treatment of problematic substance use. The concept of alliance will be used as a theoretical frame for understanding differences between internet-based treatment and face-to-face treatment, as perceived by therapists. METHOD: The study has a qualitative design and is based on 3 focus group interviews with 12 therapists working with internet-based treatment for alcohol or cannabis use problems within five different programs. RESULTS: The analysis revealed five themes in the differences between internet-based and face-to-face treatment: communication, anonymity, time, presence and focus. Treatment online in written and asynchronous form creates something qualitatively different from regular face-to-face meetings between patients and therapists. The written form changes the concept of time in treatment, that is, how time can be used and how it affects the therapist's presence. The asynchronous (i.e. time delayed) form of communication and the lack of facial expressions and body language require special skills. CONCLUSIONS: There are important differences between internet-based treatment and face-to-face treatment. Different aspects of the alliance seem to be important in internet-based treatment compared to face-to-face.
PY - 2019
SN - 1940-0640; 1940-0632; 1940-0632
SP - 44
T1 - Sort of a nice distance: a qualitative study of the experiences of therapists working with internet-based treatment of problematic substance use
T2 - Addiction science & clinical practice
TI - Sort of a nice distance: a qualitative study of the experiences of therapists working with internet-based treatment of problematic substance use
U1 - Education & Workforce; HIT & Telehealth; Opioids & Substance Use
U2 - 31771641
U3 - 10.1186/s13722-019-0173-1
VL - 14
VO - 1940-0640; 1940-0632; 1940-0632
Y1 - 2019
Y2 - Nov 27
ER -