Assessment for psychotherapy by interactive television suitable for transmission through telephone links

Abstract

Despite the increased availability of psychotherapy within the NHS, inequalities remain (Holmes & Lindley, 1989). Traditionally, psychotherapy services have been provided from teaching centres in cities and patients have had to travel for treatment. This may account in part for the middle-class predominance in psychotherapy patients and Holmes (1991) has identified the need for psychotherapists to reach out and cater for the disadvantaged in large housing estates and rural areas. While services are changing to meet such needs (Pedder, 1989) there are powerful economic restrictions on service expansion. The potential for communications technology such as interactive television to aid the delivery of general psychiatric services has been reviewed by McLaren et al (1992) and similar arguments apply to the delivery of psychotherapy.