"Online, the counselor can't see me cry": a systematic literature review on emotion and computer-mediated care

Computer-mediated care is becoming increasingly popular, but little research has been done on it and its effects on emotion-related outcomes. This systematic literature review aims to create an overview that addresses the research question: "Is there a relationship between computer-mediated care and emotional expression, perception, and emotional and (long-term) emotion outcomes?"

This systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and used five eligibility criteria, namely, (1) participants: adults seeking support; (2) intervention: eHealth; (3) diagnostic criteria: transdiagnostic concept of difficulty identifying, expressing, and/or regulating emotions (e.g., alexithymia); (4) comparator: either face-to-face care or no comparator; and (5) study design: quantitative studies or qualitative studies. Quality was assessed using the QualSyst tool.

The analysis includes 25 research papers. Self-paced interventions appear to have a positive effect on emotion regulation. Videoconferencing interventions improved emotion regulation from before to after treatment but worsened emotion regulation compared with face-to-face treatment.

The lack of variation in the modalities studied and the emotion measurements used make it difficult to draw responsible conclusions. Future research should examine how different modalities affect the real-time communication of emotions and how non-verbal cues influence this.