The "V.I.T.A. project": An experimental study for psychotherapeutic interventions in telemedicine

Abstract

Background and aims:

The “telepresence” allows innovative strategies of intervention in psychiatry and new forms of high therapeutic potential in mental healthcare assistance. Within this general framework the authors introduce the “Velletri Intensive Telepsychotherapy Assistance - V.I.T.A. Project”. The project has started four years ago and it consists of psychotherapeutic treatments systematically carried out in videoconference modality. It is aimed at: - defining the feasibility criteria (technical and psychopathological ones) of this kind of treatment; - comparing it with “face to face” psychotherapy; - pinpoint pointing out its elective fields of application in psychotherapy, especially with regards to acute episodes of “crisis”.

Methods:

Twelve patients have been recruited involved, six for the control group treated by traditional “face to face” cognitive therapy and six for experimental group treated by videoconferencing cognitive therapy. This Psychotherapeutic treatments were carried out by means of regular video connections (ISDN-based, 384 Kb/s) between the research centre and patients who live in towns near Rome. Both the treatments were assessed by: WHO-Quality of Life, HDRS (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale), HRSA (Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety), ZDS (Zung Depression Scale), STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced), MSPSS (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), DES (Dissociative Experiences Scale), BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning scale) and WAI (Working Alliance Inventory); at regular intervals of three months for four years.

Results:

A more detailed description of “V.I.T.A. Project” methodology and its preliminary results will be presented.