Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary Care
Abstract BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of video consultations in mental health care, highlighting the importance of therapeutic alliances for successful treatment outcomes in both face-to-face and web-based settings. Telepresence, the sense of be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2025-08-01
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| Series: | JMIR Mental Health |
| Online Access: | https://mental.jmir.org/2025/1/e70415 |
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| author | Markus W Haun Deborah van Eickels Isabella Stephan Justus Tönnies Mechthild Hartmann Michel Wensing Joachim Szecsenyi Andrea Icks Hans-Christoph Friederich |
| author_facet | Markus W Haun Deborah van Eickels Isabella Stephan Justus Tönnies Mechthild Hartmann Michel Wensing Joachim Szecsenyi Andrea Icks Hans-Christoph Friederich |
| author_sort | Markus W Haun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of video consultations in mental health care, highlighting the importance of therapeutic alliances for successful treatment outcomes in both face-to-face and web-based settings. Telepresence, the sense of being present with the mental health specialist (MHS) rather than feeling remote, is a critical component of building a strong therapeutic alliance in video consultations. While patients often report high telepresence levels, MHSs express concerns about whether video consultations can replicate the quality of face-to-face interactions. Despite its importance, research on telepresence development in MHSs over time and the dyadic interplay between patients and MHSs remains limited.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the mutual influence within patient-MHS dyads on telepresence development during video consultations, using data from a randomized controlled trial assessing the feasibility of video consultations for depression and anxiety disorders in primary care.
MethodsThe study included 22 patient-MHS dyads (22 patients, 4 MHSs). Telepresence was measured using the Telepresence in Videoconference Scale. Dyadic data were analyzed using the actor-partner interdependence model with a distinguishable dyad structural equation model. Actor effects refer to the impact of an individual’s telepresence at time point 1 (T1) on their telepresence at time point 2 (T2), while partner effects represent the influence of one party’s telepresence at T1 on the other’s telepresence at T2. Sensitivity analyses excluded data from individual MHSs to account for their unique effects.
ResultsA significant actor effect for MHSs (P
ConclusionsConsistent with prior findings, MHSs experienced increased telepresence over time, whereas patients reported high telepresence levels from the start of therapy. The lack of dyadic influence highlights the need for further exploration into factors affecting telepresence development, such as age, technical proficiency, and prior treatment experience. Future studies with larger samples and more sessions are necessary to enhance the generalizability of these findings and to optimize the use of video consultations in mental health care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cbf84f3e784f43b09ba5fb500521294f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2368-7959 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-cbf84f3e784f43b09ba5fb500521294f2025-08-20T03:46:53ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Mental Health2368-79592025-08-0112e70415e7041510.2196/70415Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary CareMarkus W Haunhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-1851-3747Deborah van Eickelshttp://orcid.org/0009-0001-6809-9049Isabella Stephanhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-0619-506XJustus Tönnieshttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-0308-8226Mechthild Hartmannhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-9329-1104Michel Wensinghttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-6569-8137Joachim Szecsenyihttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-4483-0028Andrea Ickshttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-4882-969XHans-Christoph Friederichhttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-4344-8959 Abstract BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of video consultations in mental health care, highlighting the importance of therapeutic alliances for successful treatment outcomes in both face-to-face and web-based settings. Telepresence, the sense of being present with the mental health specialist (MHS) rather than feeling remote, is a critical component of building a strong therapeutic alliance in video consultations. While patients often report high telepresence levels, MHSs express concerns about whether video consultations can replicate the quality of face-to-face interactions. Despite its importance, research on telepresence development in MHSs over time and the dyadic interplay between patients and MHSs remains limited. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the mutual influence within patient-MHS dyads on telepresence development during video consultations, using data from a randomized controlled trial assessing the feasibility of video consultations for depression and anxiety disorders in primary care. MethodsThe study included 22 patient-MHS dyads (22 patients, 4 MHSs). Telepresence was measured using the Telepresence in Videoconference Scale. Dyadic data were analyzed using the actor-partner interdependence model with a distinguishable dyad structural equation model. Actor effects refer to the impact of an individual’s telepresence at time point 1 (T1) on their telepresence at time point 2 (T2), while partner effects represent the influence of one party’s telepresence at T1 on the other’s telepresence at T2. Sensitivity analyses excluded data from individual MHSs to account for their unique effects. ResultsA significant actor effect for MHSs (P ConclusionsConsistent with prior findings, MHSs experienced increased telepresence over time, whereas patients reported high telepresence levels from the start of therapy. The lack of dyadic influence highlights the need for further exploration into factors affecting telepresence development, such as age, technical proficiency, and prior treatment experience. Future studies with larger samples and more sessions are necessary to enhance the generalizability of these findings and to optimize the use of video consultations in mental health care.https://mental.jmir.org/2025/1/e70415 |
| spellingShingle | Markus W Haun Deborah van Eickels Isabella Stephan Justus Tönnies Mechthild Hartmann Michel Wensing Joachim Szecsenyi Andrea Icks Hans-Christoph Friederich Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary Care JMIR Mental Health |
| title | Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary Care |
| title_full | Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary Care |
| title_fullStr | Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary Care |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary Care |
| title_short | Development of Telepresence Among Patients and Psychotherapists in the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model: Longitudinal Observational Study of 20 Dyads From a Randomized Trial on Video Consultations in Primary Care |
| title_sort | development of telepresence among patients and psychotherapists in the actor partner interdependence model longitudinal observational study of 20 dyads from a randomized trial on video consultations in primary care |
| url | https://mental.jmir.org/2025/1/e70415 |
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