Telehealth Safe, Effective for a Challenging Psychiatric Diagnosis
Medscape November 8, 2021
Telehealth is safe and effective for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and may even have an edge over in-person treatment, new research suggests.
Investigators compared BPD outcomes with therapy delivered in-person and via telemedicine and found comparable reductions in depression, anxiety, and anger symptoms as well as improved overall well-being and mental health.
The results also suggest a telehealth advantage with significantly better patient attendance vs patients treated in-person.
“We found a large effect size of treatment in both groups, as well as comparable levels of satisfaction with treatment, symptom reduction, and improved functioning, coping ability, positive mental health, and general well-being,” study investigator Mark Zimmerman, MD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island,...