Students' Perspectives on Digital Psychotherapy-Possible Solutions for Digital Inpatient-Like Care Concepts:...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Medical Education
• Digital Health

Background:

• Rising demand for mental health treatment outstrips availability.
• Barriers like location and physical limitations hinder access to traditional therapy.
• Digital psychotherapy offers a potential solution to improve access to care.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate attitudes toward digital psychotherapy among future therapists (psychology and medical students).
• Explore perceptions of a digital inpatient-like therapy setting.
• Gather insights for developing innovative digital therapeutic solutions.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, semistructured interviews with 20 students (10 psychology, 10 medical).
• Inductive thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke's methodology.
• Data organized into categories: digitalization evolution, future directions, technical framework, and AI in psychotherapy.

Main Results:

• Digital psychotherapy is accepted as an alternative when face-to-face therapy is impossible.
• Concerns exist regarding the therapeutic relationship and interaction quality.
• Artificial intelligence is viewed as a supplementary tool, not a standalone therapy.
• Technical issues pose significant barriers to consistent implementation.

Conclusions:

• A successful digital psychotherapy model requires a robust technical framework to support the interpersonal therapeutic relationship.
• Digital mental health solutions must address potential impairments in therapeutic connection.
• AI can augment, but not replace, human-led digital psychotherapy.