Kellett Stephen, Easton Katherine, Cooper Martin, Millings Abigail, Simmonds-Buckley Melanie, Parry Glenys
Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
JMIR Ment Health. 2020 Dec 18;7(12):e19888. doi: 10.2196/19888.
There has been a lack of technological innovation regarding improving the delivery of integrative psychotherapies. This project sought to evaluate an app designed to replace previous paper-based methods supporting relational awareness and change during cognitive analytic therapy (CAT).
We aimed to assess patients' and therapists' experience of using the technology (ie, the "CAT-App") and to evaluate the relationship between app usage and clinical outcome.
The design was a mixed methods case series. Patients completed the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure pre- and post-CAT. Mood data plus the frequency and effectiveness of relational awareness and change were collected via the app. Therapists and patients were interviewed about their experiences using the app.
Ten patients (treated by 3 therapists) were enrolled; seven completed treatment and 4 had a reliable improvement in their mental health. App usage and mood change did not differ according to clinical outcome, but there was a statistically significant difference in app usage between completers and dropouts. The qualitative themes described by the therapists were (1) the challenge of incorporating the technology into their clinical practice and (2) the barriers and benefits of the technology. Clients' themes were (1) data protection, (2) motivation and engagement, and (3) restrictions versus flexibility.
The CAT-App is capable of supporting relational awareness and change and is an upgrade on older, paper-based formats. Further clinical evaluation is required.
在改善综合心理治疗的实施方面一直缺乏技术创新。本项目旨在评估一款应用程序，该应用程序旨在取代先前支持认知分析疗法（CAT）中关系意识和改变的纸质方法。
我们旨在评估患者和治疗师使用该技术（即“CAT应用程序”）的体验，并评估应用程序使用情况与临床结果之间的关系。
设计为混合方法病例系列。患者在CAT治疗前后完成常规评估-结果测量中的临床结果评估。通过该应用程序收集情绪数据以及关系意识和改变的频率及有效性。就治疗师和患者使用该应用程序的体验进行了访谈。
招募了10名患者（由3名治疗师治疗）；7名完成治疗，4名心理健康状况有可靠改善。应用程序的使用情况和情绪变化在临床结果方面没有差异，但完成治疗者和退出治疗者在应用程序使用方面存在统计学上的显著差异。治疗师描述的定性主题为：（1）将该技术纳入其临床实践的挑战，以及（2）该技术的障碍和益处。患者的主题为：（1）数据保护，（2）动机和参与度，以及（3）限制与灵活性。
CAT应用程序能够支持关系意识和改变，是对旧的纸质形式的升级。需要进一步的临床评估。
