Attitudes Toward Psychological Telehealth: Current and Future Clinical Psychologists’ Opinions of Internet-Based Interventions

Objectives The current study explored differences in acceptance of telehealth interventions amongst currently licensed and future clinicians with a focus on web camera-based intervention. The influence of theoretical orientation was also assessed. Method An online survey assessed 717 participants comprising 409 licensed psychologists (40.8% female, mean age = 56.57, standard deviation [SD] = 11.01) and 308 doctoral-level students (78.9% female, mean age = 27.66, SD = 5.9) across domains of endorsement and rejection. Results Binary logistic regression indicated no significant difference between currently licensed and future psychologists in their endorsement of telehealth modalities. Cognitive-behavioral, cognitive, behavioral, and systems psychologists were significantly more accepting of telehealth interventions than were dynamic/analytic or existential therapists. Conclusions Increasing exposure to telehealth through education as well as continued research on efficacy for specific diagnoses may help psychologists to more effectively determine whether telehealth is the “best fit” for both clinician and client.