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Review
. 2023 Sep 1:5:1216268.
doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1216268. eCollection 2023.

"Online, the counselor can't see me cry": a systematic literature review on emotion and computer-mediated care

Sarah De Coninck  1   2   3 , Elke Emmers  4
Affiliations
Review

"Online, the counselor can't see me cry": a systematic literature review on emotion and computer-mediated care

Sarah De Coninck et al. Front Digit Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Computer-mediated care is becoming increasingly popular, but little research has been done on it and its effects on emotion-related outcomes. This systematic literature review aims to create an overview that addresses the research question: "Is there a relationship between computer-mediated care and emotional expression, perception, and emotional and (long-term) emotion outcomes?"

Method: This systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and used five eligibility criteria, namely, (1) participants: adults seeking support; (2) intervention: eHealth; (3) diagnostic criteria: transdiagnostic concept of difficulty identifying, expressing, and/or regulating emotions (e.g., alexithymia); (4) comparator: either face-to-face care or no comparator; and (5) study design: quantitative studies or qualitative studies. Quality was assessed using the QualSyst tool.

Results: The analysis includes 25 research papers. Self-paced interventions appear to have a positive effect on emotion regulation. Videoconferencing interventions improved emotion regulation from before to after treatment but worsened emotion regulation compared with face-to-face treatment.

Discussion: The lack of variation in the modalities studied and the emotion measurements used make it difficult to draw responsible conclusions. Future research should examine how different modalities affect the real-time communication of emotions and how non-verbal cues influence this.

Keywords: computer-mediated care; eHealth; emotion expression; emotion regulation; emotional support; empathy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Framework for expressing and experiencing emotions and emotional support via computer-mediated interaction based on the framework of computer-mediated empathy by Grondin et al. (15).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of the review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

    1. The references with specific designation * were included in the systematic literature review.
    1. Shore J. The evolution and history of telepsychiatry and its impact on psychiatric care: current implications for psychiatrists and psychiatric organizations. Int Rev Psychiatry. (2015) 27(6):469–75. 10.3109/09540261.2015.1072086 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Torous J, Roberts LW. Needed innovation in digital health and smartphone applications for mental health: transparency and trust. JAMA Psychiatry. (2017) 74(5):437–8. 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0262 - DOI - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Practice guidance for COVID-19. (2020). Available at: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/covid-19-coronavirus/practice-g...
    1. American Telemedicine Association. State of the states report: coverage and reimbursement. (2019).

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the “Agentschap innoveren en ondernemen” (grant number TETRA HBC.2017.0064).

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