Attitudes of Mental Health Professionals towards Telepsychology during the Pandemic: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study investigated mental health professionals' attitudes towards remote psychological consultations and internet-based interventions. METHODS: An online survey in Italian and English was administered to a sample of 191 psychologists and psychotherapists to collect detailed information about their professional experience providing online psychological interventions a year and a half after the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. RESULTS: The results did not reveal a statistically significant association between the participants' theoretical approaches and the number of patients treated via the online modality. Overall, most of the participants found advantages to the online setting but also noted critical issues regarding privacy and the ease of integrating new technology into their clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: According to the participants, despite the challenges that must be addressed, telehealth is a viable psychological therapeutic option that is destined to grow in importance in the near future.

Strategies for effective online teaching and learning: Practices and techniques with a proven track of success in online education

This chapter provides readers with a comprehensive review of strategies for effective design in online instruction. The authors explore the traditional debate between advocates and critics of online education and discuss effectiveness in retention, engagement, and overall academic performance. The chapter differentiates between "online-first" course design and emergency remote delivery, as experienced in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key factors include identifying engagement and communication strategies such as "ask me anything" sessions and tailored selection of resources. Open educational resources (OER), pre-recorded lectures, podcasts, and "online-first" textbooks are presented as appropriate and cost-conscious content options. Also included are alternative assessment ideas and universal design for learning (UDL) and accessibility guidelines. The chapter provides a continuum model for the transition of in-person courses to online instruction while conscious of both instructor workload/ instructional support and expected level of learner workload and engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)