Text-based psychotherapy delivers outcomes comparable to live video sessions for patients with depression, according to research from the University of Washington School of Medicine examining 850 adults treated through a commercial mental health platform.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, randomly assigned participants to receive either message-based psychotherapy or weekly video-based sessions through Talkspace for 12 weeks. Patients in both groups demonstrated similar improvements in depression symptoms and social functioning by the trial’s conclusion.
Participants who did not respond after six weeks received a combination of both treatment modalities. The research team observed that patients receiving video-based therapy showed slightly higher rates of early disengagement, whilst message-based therapy provided greater flexibility for patient-therapist engagement.
Treating millions of people
“We found that patients improved at similar rates, regardless of whether they were communicating with their therapist through messaging or live video calls,” said Patricia A. Areán, retired professor in psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “This supports the use of text-based therapy as a viable, evidence-based way to treat the millions of Americans who experience depression every year.”
Message-based psychotherapy enables patients to exchange emails, texts, or voice and video messages with therapists asynchronously, contrasting with traditional video sessions requiring scheduled appointments.
The findings carry implications for treatment accessibility, according to Michael Pullmann, former research professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the study’s lead author. Depression represents one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide, he noted, with message-based psychotherapy offering practitioners a means to reach patients who may lack access to conventional care.
The research team emphasised that expanding insurance reimbursement for message-based therapy could enhance treatment accessibility for depression patients.
