Phone therapy could offer new way to treat depression
Jun 7, 2012, 6:46 AM | Updated: 6:55 am
Depression affects up to 30 million Americans every year.
For some, sticking with treatment could pose a challenge. Experts suggest the reason people drop out of treatment is because of life obligations and not enough time.
Therapy over the phone could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
“You don’t have stop work and drive for an hour and half to get to your therapist’s office,” said psychotherapist Rena Woss, who helps people face-to-face, but also offers phone therapy.
“[It’s] very effective,” she said. “Especially when you find a therapist that has good training and has many different tools and techniques to offer.”
A Northwestern University study suggested that patients counseled over the phone were less likely to drop out of treatment.
Researchers also found that patients who tried this method showed improvement at the same rate as those who opted for face-to-face sessions.
The findings of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
