@article{bekes_trainee_2022,

title = {Trainee Therapists’ Perceptions of a Blended Intervention to Promote Resilience after a Natural Disaster: A Qualitative Case Study},

author = {V. Békés and G. Belleville and J. Lebel and M. -C. Ouellet and Z. Chen and C. M. Morin and N. Bergeron and T. S. Campbell and S. Ghosh and S. Bouchard and S. Guay and F. P. MacMaster},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85136961448&doi=10.3390%2fjcm11154361&partnerID=40&md5=9705da30150789ca11a9c7719d221dac},

doi = {10.3390/jcm11154361},

issn = {20770383},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},

volume = {11},

number = {15},

abstract = {Background: Natural disasters happen in an increased frequency, and telemental health interventions could offer easily accessible help to reduce mental health symptoms experienced by survivors. However, there are very few programs offered to natural disaster survivors, and no research exists on therapists’ experiences with providing blended interventions for natural disaster survivors. Aims: Our qualitative case study aims to describe psychologists’ experiences with an online, therapist-assisted blended intervention for survivors of the Fort McMurray wildfires in Alberta, Canada. Method: The RESILIENT intervention was developed in the frames of a randomized controlled trial to promote resilience after the Fort McMurray wildfires by providing survivors free access to a 12-module, therapist-assisted intervention, aiming to improve post-traumatic stress, insomnia, and depression symptoms. A focus group design was used to collect data from the therapists, and emerging common themes were identified by thematic analysis. Results: Therapists felt they could build strong alliances and communicate emotions and empathy effectively, although the lack of nonverbal cues posed some challenges. The intervention, according to participating therapists, was less suitable for participants in high-stress situations and in case of discrepancy between client expectations and the intervention content. Moreover, the therapists perceived specific interventions as easy-to-use or as more challenging based on their complexity and on the therapist support needed for executing them. Client engagement in the program emerged as an underlying theme that had fundamental impact on alliance, communication, and ultimately, treatment efficiency. Therapist training and supervision was perceived as crucial for the success of the program delivery. Conclusions: Our findings provided several implications for the optimalization of blended interventions for natural disaster survivors from our therapists’ perspective. © 2022 by the authors.},

note = {Publisher: MDPI},

keywords = {adult, Alberta, article, case study, Depression, emotion, Empathy, expectation, female, human, insomnia, natural disaster, perception, personal experience, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychological resilience, psychotherapist, qualitative analysis, survivor, thematic analysis, therapeutic alliance, wildfire, Young Adult},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{marcotte-beaumier_role_2021,

title = {The role of intolerance of uncertainty and working alliance in the outcome of cognitive behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder delivered by videoconference: Mediation analysis},

author = {G. Marcotte-Beaumier and S. Bouchard and P. Gosselin and F. Langlois and G. Belleville and A. Marchand and M. J. Dugas},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85103169307&doi=10.2196%2f24541&partnerID=40&md5=6d4abe613d27257552970428c3a84bb4},

doi = {10.2196/24541},

issn = {23687959},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {JMIR Mental Health},

volume = {8},

number = {3},

abstract = {Background: Previous meta-analyses have shown a significant relationship between working alliance and treatment outcome in general. Some studies have examined the relationship between working alliance and treatment outcome during telepsychotherapy, but to the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the mediating role of individual components of the working alliance. Objective: As part of a clinical trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) delivered by videoconference (VC), the aim of this study is to examine the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty on the relationship between the components of the working alliance and treatment outcome. Methods: A sample of 46 adults with primary GAD received 15 sessions of CBT for GAD delivered over VC. Participants completed the measure of working alliance immediately after the fifth therapy session. The degree of change in intolerance of uncertainty (a key psychological process) was assessed from pre- to posttreatment. Treatment outcome was assessed via changes in GAD symptoms from pretreatment to the 6-month follow-up. Results: The results revealed that the therapeutic bond did not predict treatment outcome (r=-0.23; P=.12). However, agreement on therapeutic goals and tasks did predict treatment outcome (r=-0.42; P=.004 and r=-0.37; P=.01, respectively). In addition, the relationship between consensus on therapeutic tasks and treatment outcome was completely mediated by changes in intolerance of uncertainty (unstandardized β=-0.03; r2=0.12), whereas consensus relative to treatment goals had a direct impact on treatment outcome. Conclusions: These results provide a better understanding of the differential role of the components of the working alliance in telepsychotherapy as a facilitative factor for changes in key cognitive processes, leading to therapeutic change. © 2021 JMIR Publications Inc. All Rights Reserved.},

note = {Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.},

keywords = {adult, article, clinical article, cognitive behavioral therapy, consensus, controlled study, female, follow up, generalized anxiety disorder, human, male, mediation analysis, outcome assessment, randomized controlled trial, telehealth, therapeutic alliance, treatment outcome, uncertainty, videoconferencing},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{watts_telepsychotherapy_2020,

title = {Telepsychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder: Impact on the working alliance},

author = {S. Watts and A. Marchand and S. Bouchard and P. Gosselin and F. Langlois and G. Belleville and M. J. Dugas},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85087016174&doi=10.1037%2fint0000223&partnerID=40&md5=3f8935382982d2893538d6837ebcbf1d},

doi = {10.1037/int0000223},

issn = {10530479},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Journal of Psychotherapy Integration},

volume = {30},

number = {2},

pages = {208–225},

abstract = {Telepsychotherapy represents a promising solution to problems pertaining to specialized mental health services accessibility, including when delivering psychotherapy to people who do not have access to care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The quality of the working alliance established in such a therapeutic context remains often questioned. Moreover, no study has comparatively examined the evolution of the alliance over telepsychotherapy and conventional, face-to-face, psychotherapy. This study assesses the impact of cognitive- behavioral therapy administered via telepsychotherapy or face-to-face on the quality of the working alliance. One hundred and 15 participants suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) took part in this randomized controlled trial, 50 of whom were assigned to telepsychotherapy in videoconference and 65 of whom were assigned to conventional psychotherapy. Each client and their psychotherapist completed the Working Alliance Inventory every 2 sessions. In the current sample, telepsychotherapy did not interfere with the establishment of the working alliance over the course of the treatment for GAD. On the contrary, clients showed a stronger working alliance in telepsychotherapy delivered in videoconference than in conventional psychotherapy. Clients seemed to be more comfortable with telepsychotherapy than psychotherapists. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed. © 2020 American Psychological Association.},

note = {Publisher: American Psychological Association Inc.},

keywords = {adult, Anxiety disorder, article, cognitive behavioral therapy, controlled study, employment status, female, generalized anxiety disorder, health care quality, human, major clinical study, male, mood disorder, psychoeducation, psychotherapist, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders, symptom, Telemedicine, therapeutic alliance, videoconferencing},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}