Year of Zoom in a Year of Doom: Lessons Learned Delivering ERP Remotely During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Issue 2 (May 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hezel, Dianne M.; Rapp, Amy M.; Glasgow, Shannon; Cridland, Gail; Simpson, H. Blair
• Is Part Of: Cognitive and behavioral practice. Volume 30:Issue 2(2023)
• Page Start: 263
• Page End: 272
• Publication Date: 2023-05
• Subjects: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) -- remotely delivered therapy -- telehealth -- exposure and response prevention (ERP); Behavior therapy -- Periodicals; Cognitive therapy -- Periodicals; Behavior Therapy -- Periodicals; Cognitive Therapy -- Periodicals; 616.8914205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2021.12.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-7229

Abstract

Abstract: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and consequential shutdown measures, many mental health professionals started providing therapy to patients exclusively via telehealth. Our research center, which specializes in studying and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), historically has provided in-person exposure and response prevention (ERP) to adults with OCD, but shifted to telehealth during the pandemic. Unlike in other modes of talk therapy, ERP's emphasis on therapist-supervised exposures presented unique opportunities and challenges to delivering treatment entirely via a virtual platform. This paper provides case examples to illustrate lessons we learned delivering ERP exclusively via telehealth in New York from March 2020 through June 2021 and offers recommendations for future study and practice. Though we observed a number of drawbacks to fully remote ERP, we also discovered advantages to delivering ERP this way, meriting additional research attention.