Talkspace Counseling & Therapy Review

A pilot study was done to determine the validity of psychotherapy through texting (SMS) and Web platforms. Fifty-seven adults seeking text therapy were recruited from a text therapy service. Clinical outcomes were measured using the General Health Questionnaire-12 after 15 weeks of treatment. Results indicated that 25 (46%) of the participants experiences significant symptom improvement. High levels of satisfaction and cost-effectiveness were also reported. (Hull, T. D., & Mahan, K. 2017. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/tmj.2016.0114?casa_token=UghuCLLMPHcAAAAA:Dus7IlOPswIVhRn-zyUxWjWKFthynEDAn7AHWHg53mbIE3QmvfPZwveW3FMs-vdKuByiuwzpBkfSNQ)

In another study, 51 users of Talkspace were recruited via an invitation from their therapist. Most (N = 35,) of the participants were female, and all participants were between the ages of 18 and 55 (M = 34.0, SD = 8.8). Participants were treated by licensed psychotherapists, with each psychotherapist treating 1.6 study participants on average. Clinical change was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 item scale (GAD-2). Work productivity was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Scale (WPAI) and cost effectiveness versus traditional therapy was also measured. Thirty-eight participants (73%) reported a PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher prior to beginning the treatment, with higher scores indicating greater impairment due to depression. Thirty-one of the 38 participants (84%) reported a PHQ-9 score of less than 10 after treatment with an average change of 10.4 points. Thirty-nine participants (75%) reported a GAD-2 score of 3 or higher prior to beginning the treatment, with a higher score indicating greater likelihood for the presence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Twenty-five of the 39 participants (64%) reported a GAD-2 score of less than 3 after treatment with an average change of 2.67 points. Participants also reported significantly less work missed. (DellaCrosse, M., Mahan, K., & Hull, T. D. 2019. https://idp.springer.com/authorize/casa?redirect_uri=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41347-018-0064-4&casa_token=87TRgSUZLW4AAAAA:H3Y47xQaMG4yckHJ1qa2fT2HlrWqwmnUsL6d98Vtr2jruz3kVyNp17tKuDnpxFBVGG779sMDXZfTAMGWmJk)