Group teletherapy for first‐episode psychosis: Piloting its integration with coordinated specialty care during the COVID‐19 pandemic

• Published in: Psychology and psychotherapy Vol. 94; no. 2; pp. 382 - 389
• Main Authors: Wood, Helen J., Gannon, Jessica M., Chengappa, K.N. Roy, Sarpal, Deepak K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-06-2021
• Subjects: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Adult; Cohort Studies; coordinated specialty care; COVID-19; Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; first‐episode psychosis; groups; Humans; Patient Compliance; Patient Satisfaction; Pilot Projects; Process Assessment, Health Care; Psychotherapy, Group; Psychotic Disorders - therapy; Telemedicine; teletherapy; COVID-19; teletherapy; groups; coordinated specialty care; first-episode psychosis
• ISSN: 1476-0835; 2044-8341
• DOI: 10.1111/papt.12310

Digital health has emerged in recent years as a tool to optimize care delivery and promote treatment adherence among individuals with first‐episode psychosis (FEP). Recent mandates for social distancing and sheltering in place due to the COVID‐19 pandemic have catapulted efforts to provide ongoing coordinated specialty care (CSC) on virtual platforms. While prior evidence provides support for the general implementation of virtual individual therapy, there is limited guidance and evidence for the adoption of group teletherapy. Here we describe our efforts to implement group teletherapy for two small cohorts of individuals with FEP receiving care in a coordinated specialty care clinic using methods adopted from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. We observed high adherence with group visits as well as client satisfaction across groups. Based on our results, we have taken efforts to implement virtual group therapy more permanently in our clinic. Our experience provides guidance and a model for integration of virtual group therapy within CSC.
Practitioner points
In‐person group therapy can be adapted as an online treatment modality for individuals with first‐episode psychosis (FEP).
Group teletherapy is both accessible and satisfactory to individuals with FEP.
Group teletherapy has potential as a more standard and widespread treatment modality within coordinated specialty care for FEP.