IntroductionWhile the potential future role of virtual agents (VAs) in treating addiction is promising, participants’ attitudes toward the use of VAs in psychotherapy remain insufficiently investigated. This lack of investigation could pose barriers to the adoption of VA-led psychotherapy for people with substance use disorders (SUD). This research aims to explore the acceptability and usability of VAs for people with methamphetamine use disorder.MethodsFollowing a single session of psychotherapy led by VAs through the Echo-app, a group of 49 individuals actively seeking treatment for current DSM-V substance dependence (with a mean age of 39.06 ± 8.02) completed self-administered questionnaires and participated in focus group interviews. These questionnaires aimed to investigate participants’ preference regarding the type of psychotherapy and their willingness to engage in VA-led psychotherapy, taking into account their diverse psychological needs.ResultsQuantitative data were subjected to analysis through both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Interestingly, participants exhibited a significantly higher acceptability for traditional face-to-face psychotherapy compared to email-based psychotherapy ( p = 0.042), but there was no statistically significant difference between their acceptance of traditional psychotherapy and VA-led psychotherapy ( p = 0.059). The questionnaire outcomes indicated participants’ willingness to engage in VA-led psychotherapy for purposes such as relapse prevention intervention, addressing emotional issues, managing somatic experiences, and facilitating social and family functional recovery. Furthermore, the participants’ attitudes toward VA-led psychotherapy were predicted by factors including the need for anxiety-focused psychotherapy ( p = 0.027; OR [95%CI] = 0.14[0.03,0.80]), the presence of chronic somatic diseases ( p = 0.017; OR [95%CI] = 13.58[1.59,116.03]), and marital status ( p = 0.031; OR [95%CI] = 5.02[1.16,21.79]).DiscussionThrough the interviews, the study uncovered the factors that either supported or hindered participants’ experiences with VA-led psychotherapy, while also gathering suggestions for future improvements. This research highlights the willingness and practicality of individuals with SUD in embracing VA-led psychotherapy. The findings are anticipated to contribute to the refinement of VA-led tools to better align with the preferences and needs of the users.

中文翻译：

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患有甲基苯丙胺使用障碍的参与者中的虚拟代理：可接受性和可用性研究

简介虽然虚拟代理 (VA) 在治疗成瘾方面的潜在未来作用是有希望的，但参与者对在心理治疗中使用 VA 的态度仍然没有得到充分的研究。缺乏调查可能会对药物滥用障碍 (SUD) 患者采用 VA 主导的心理治疗造成障碍。本研究旨在探讨 VA 对甲基苯丙胺使用障碍患者的可接受性和可用性。方法在 VA 通过 Echo-app 进行单次心理治疗后，49 名个体积极寻求当前 DSM-V 物质依赖的治疗（平均年龄为 39.06 ± 8.02）完成了自填问卷并参加了焦点小组访谈。这些问卷旨在调查参与者对心理治疗类型的偏好以及他们参与VA主导的心理治疗的意愿，同时考虑到他们多样化的心理需求。结果通过描述性和推论性统计方法对定量数据进行分析。有趣的是，与基于电子邮件的心理治疗相比，参与者对传统面对面心理治疗的接受度明显更高（p = 0.042），但他们对传统心理治疗和 VA 主导的心理治疗的接受度之间没有统计学上的显着差异（p = 0.059） ）。问卷结果表明参与者愿意参与 VA 主导的心理治疗，其目的包括预防复发干预、解决情绪问题、管理躯体体验以及促进社会和家庭功能恢复。此外，参与者对 VA 主导的心理治疗的态度是通过以下因素预测的：是否需要以焦虑为中心的心理治疗（p = 0.027；OR [95%CI] = 0.14[0.03,0.80]）、是否存在慢性躯体疾病（ p = 0.017；OR [95%CI] = 13.58[1.59,116.03]）和婚姻状况（p = 0.031；OR [95%CI] = 5.02[1.16,21.79]）。讨论通过访谈，研究揭示了支持或阻碍参与者体验 VA 主导的心理治疗的因素，同时还收集未来改进的建议。这项研究强调了 SUD 患者接受 VA 主导的心理治疗的意愿和实用性。预计这些发现将有助于完善 VA 主导的工具，以更好地满足用户的偏好和需求。