Online Delivery of Psychotherapy, Tailored to Patients' Suffering from Mental Health Problems Due to COVID-19

Summary

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of individuals social life and its negative consequences on Canadian public health go far beyond the direct overload of the hospital care system. Self-isolation and financial uncertainty can significantly deteriorate individuals' mental health, which is only going to aggravate with prolonged physical distancing strategies. Adding to this is the personal and public trauma of lost lives and soon there will be an unprecedented epidemic of mental health problems with crushing effects on the public health sector and economy. To meet this huge new demand for an already strained health system, there is a need for innovative new approaches that significantly expand the capacity of care delivery. While it may not be possible in the short term to increase the number of mental healthcare providers or the number of hours they work, improving their time spent efficiently might be the solution. Virtual care and online delivery of psychotherapy, shown to be clinically effective, efficient and cost-effective, might be the perfect solution to address the high demand faced now. The investigators aim to establish the first academic online psychotherapy clinic to manage mental health problems secondary to COVID-19. The goal is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of treating COVID-19 related mental health issues in this clinic, offering a 10-week, diagnosis-specific, online psychotherapy program. The investigators will use the Online Psychotherapy Tool (OPTT), a secure cloud-based digital mental health platform, developed by the PI, Dr. Alavi. Potentially, this method of care delivery could increase care capacity by four-folds. The findings from this project have the potential to influence clinical practice and policy and increase accessibility to care during COVID-19 pandemic, without sacrificing the quality of care.

Conditions

• Mental Health Issue
• Covid19
• Anxiety Disorders
• Depression

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

e-Psychotherapy

Module Content: The first 3 sessions will be designed to address the symptoms caused by fear of illness or concerns about personal safety in the context of pandemic. Electronic-CBT (e-CBT) modules will focus on problem solving techniques, with mindfulness practices included, to help build healthy coping skills to address the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. e-CBT modules will involve guiding participants to develop constructive and balanced coping strategies through 5 focuses: stimulus control, cognitive therapy, sleep hygiene, relaxation therapy, and sleep restriction. Additional focus will be placed on the connection between thoughts, behaviours, emotions, physical reaction and one's environment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Online PsychoTherapy Clinic

  collaborator OTHER

• Dr. Nazanin Alavi

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Nazanin Alavi · Queen's University

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-06-15

Primary Completion

2021-05-01

Completion

2021-05-01

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations