MacKean, M; Lecchi, T; Mortimer, R; Midgley, N; (2023) ‘I’ve started my journey to coping better’: exploring adolescents’ journeys through an internet-based psychodynamic therapy (I-PDT) for depression. Journal of Child Psychotherapy , 49 (3) pp. 432-453. 10.1080/0075417X.2023.2173271.

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Abstract

The need to account for adolescents’ views during the design and development of therapeutic interventions is well documented, yet there remains a paucity of research doing so, particularly among internet-based therapies. This study aimed to address this by exploring adolescents’ expectations and experience of an internet-based psychodynamic therapy (I-PDT) for adolescent depression. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted and thematically analysed. From this, five overarching and interrelated themes were identified: ‘negative expectation’, ‘strong therapeutic relationship’, ‘significant commitment’, ‘facilitated change’, and ‘gained appreciation’. The prominent effect of personal characteristics was also evident, whereby those young people who were highly motivated, or less confident, spoke most positively of their experience. The findings support government policies to increase availability of digitally enabled models of therapy, by highlighting adolescents’ positive experiences. However, the impact of individual characteristics and working styles on adolescents’ experiences signals that internet-based therapies may not be suitable for all. Young people may benefit from a range of different treatment options, able to meet their various needs and preferences.

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