Spanish-Speaking Therapists Increasingly Switch to Telepsychology during COVID-19: Networked Virtual Reality May Be Next

Abstract

Background: Social distancing restrictions imposed due to the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in a rapid shift in the delivery of psychological interventions from in-person to telehealth. Much of the research on this transition has been conducted with English-speaking mental health providers, leaving a gap in understanding related to how this shift has impacted Spanish-speaking treatment providers. Methods: Fifty non-U.S. Spanish-speaking therapists completed a survey related to their use of telecommunication modalities; client population characteristics; professional, ethical, and legal/regulatory issues; and telehealth training and practice. Participants completed the survey at one time point and retrospectively described their use of telehealth both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Results: Most of the 50 Spanish-speaking therapists surveyed reported using telepsychology 58% before COVID-19 versus 84% during the COVID-19 pandemic (χ2 = 5.76, p < 0.05). Compared with pre-pandemic, the number of hours therapists spent using telepsychology per week increased significantly for early adopter therapists (those who began using telehealth before the pandemic began) (Z = -3.18, p = 0.001) and also for late adopter therapists who only began using telehealth during the pandemic (Z = -3.74, p < 0.001). Many therapists reported equity issues. Most participants also reported ethical and regulatory concerns regarding security/confidentiality or Health Insurance Porability and Accountability Act. Conclusions: The rapid adoption of technology to deliver therapy during COVID-19 has spurred growing pains for Spanish-speaking therapists and their underserved clients, and more research is needed to better understand and improve the therapists' adoption of these technologies with diverse patient populations.