Clinicians' Attitudes Toward Telepsychology in Addiction and Mental Health Services, and Prediction of Postpandemic Telepsychology Uptake: Cross-sectional Study

Kristen Zentner; Graham Gaine; Paige Ethridge; Shireen Surood; Adam Abba-Aji

doi:10.2196/35535

Clinicians' Attitudes Toward Telepsychology in Addiction and Mental Health Services, and Prediction of Postpandemic Telepsychology Uptake: Cross-sectional Study

JMIR Form Res. 2022 May 13;6(5):e35535. doi: 10.2196/35535.

Authors

Kristen Zentner¹, Graham Gaine^{1

2

3}, Paige Ethridge⁴, Shireen Surood¹, Adam Abba-Aji^{3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Supports and Services, Addiction & Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
² Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
³ Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
⁵ Young Adult Assessment, Evaluation & Reintegration, Addiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

PMID: 35559793
PMCID: PMC9143772
DOI: 10.2196/35535

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented uptake of telepsychology services; however, clinicians have mixed attitudes toward virtual technologies.

Objective: This study (1) explored clinicians' experiences of and intentions to use video, telephone, and in-person services, and (2) tested the utility of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to predict clinicians' intentions to offer telepsychology after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Clinician satisfaction and therapeutic alliance were compared across in-person, video, and telephone services, while technology attitudes and intention to use after the pandemic were compared across video and telephone services among 118 addiction and mental health clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: Clinicians reported more positive experiences with in-person services than both virtual technologies; further, clinicians reported greater positive experiences, attitudes, and intentions to use video services than telephone services across measures. Based on the UTAUT, performance expectancy positively predicted concurrent intentions to use video services (β=0.46; P<.001) and telephone services (β=0.35; P<.001) after the pandemic. Social influence (β=0.24; P=.004) and facilitating conditions (β=0.19; P=.03) additionally predicted the intention to use telephone services.

Conclusions: Clinicians rated in-person services more positively than virtual technologies, with video services perceived more positively than telephone services. Performance expectancy was the primary facilitator of the uptake of both virtual modalities.

Keywords: clinician attitude; mental health; telepsychology; therapeutic alliance; unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

©Kristen Zentner, Graham Gaine, Paige Ethridge, Shireen Surood, Adam Abba-Aji. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 13.05.2022.