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Remote Forensic Evaluations and Treatment in the Time of COVID-19: An International Survey of Psychologists and Psychiatrists
Workplace restrictions associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have resulted in increased tele-service use by forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. This article describes the results of a survey of 295 psychologists and psychiatrists concerning their experiences and opinions of forensic tele-service work. Participants identified a range of benefits to using audiovisual (AV) conferencing technologies, including efficiency, convenience, ease of access, safety, client comfort, and flexibility. However. issues were also reported. including concerns that some aspects of the mental status examination, specifically appearance and behavior and affect, may be difficult to assess. There were also some clinical conditions that were considered by participants to be unsuitable for tele-servicing. Although most participants believed that the therapeutic relationship was less satisfactory when using AV conferencing as compared with face-to-face interactions, on average, participants were satisfied with the therapeutic relationship that was developed. Further, some participants (n = 38, 27.1%) reported that clients had expressed a preference for remote engagement, but a similar number reported that some had expressed concerns about receiving treatment remotely (n = 38, 26.4%). Although recent training and experience were associated with confidence, perceived confidence, and satisfaction with tele-services, fewer than half of participants (n = 112. 44.8%) had received training in tele-service use. Overall, there appears to be a range of benefits to using tele-services for remote forensic assessment and treatment practice, but there are issues that need to be considered, and best-practice guidelines require development.
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