Volume 28, Issue 3
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2019.1121
ATTITUDES OF ARGENTINE THERAPISTS TOWARDS THE INCORPORATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY: TEN YEARS OF EVOLUTION
Abstract
The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has expanded, both in the general population and in the field of Mental Health. However, information about knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of psychologists regarding their integration to psychotherapy is limited. A total of 105 clinical psychologists from Buenos Aires were surveyed to understand their knowledge and utilization of ICT, and their beliefs about the impact that ICT can have on the therapeutic alliance and the implementation of therapeutic techniques. The responses from this survey were compared with the results obtained 10 years before in a similar study. While participants reported low levels of knowledge, the majority (n = 97, 92.4%) reported using ICT with their patients. Similarly, a majority of the sample belief that ICT could contribute to the therapeutic alliance and are useful for technical interventions. The comparison with the results obtained 10 years ago, indicates a significant increase in knowledge (p <.00) and use of ICTs (p <.00), and beliefs in relation to their usefulness for the therapeutic alliance (p = .03) for technical interventions (p =.05). Conclusion: Although the level of knowledge reported is low, the use of ICTs and positive beliefs about them is high and has increased in the last ten years.
Keywords
Information and Communication Technologies, Psychotherapy, Knowledge, Utilization, Attitudes