HEALTH

Text therapy shows similar outcomes to video

A randomized trial of 850 adults with mild to moderate depression found that as-needed text or email psychotherapy led to similar 12 week improvements as weekly video sessions, according to JAMA Network Open. Though not an equivalence study, researchers saw no outcome differences and no adverse events. Participants were more likely to drop out of video therapy, yet reported a slightly stronger bond with video clinicians. The findings fuel debate over insurer reimbursement for text therapy; experts call the evidence encouraging but incomplete, noting the exclusion of higher risk patients and gaps in tracking response speed or volume.

Reviewed by JQJO team

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