Guidelines for the Provision of Remote Psychological Services

Abstract

Abstract: Albeit the benefits of delivering psychological services remotely using digital technologies (eMental Health) were established in the literature in the past years, its integration into clinical practice was slow. The COVID-19 pandemic marked an abrupt change, with eMental Health being almost the only way to provide psychological support worldwide. New competencies were demanded from psychologists, accompanied by a growing number of guidelines to support their practices. This work’s main goal was to summarize the available guidelines for the practice of remote psychological services. A scoping literature review was conducted until March 2022. All documents that provided guidelines for the remote provision of psychological services were analyzed. A deductive thematic analysis, followed by an inductive thematic analysis, was conducted. The most unanimous result was the importance of incorporating the guidelines available for the presential provision of psychological services in eMental Health services. Additional procedures were suggested, namely, to ensure the privacy and security of the information, therapeutic boundaries and therapeutic setting, and the safety of the clients. Furthermore, aspects such as risk assessment and management, managing interruptions and exits in sessions, multicultural competence of psychologists, and specificities of remote psychological assessment shall be considered before beginning the therapeutic process. This scoping review presents a summary of the available guidelines for the provision of remote psychological services and can be used by Psychologists to make informed decisions regarding their remote practices. It highlights the need to develop specific competencies related to the remote environment, which reinforces the need for formal training and adapting the training curricula of new psychologists.