Patient education and counseling | 2021
Investigating the influence of interaction modality on the communication patterns of spinal cord injury peer mentors.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES\nTo examine how the quality of spinal cord injury peer mentorship relationships and mentor-mentee behaviors are impacted by interaction modality.\n\n\nMETHODS\nUsing a within-subjects, repeated measures, experimental design, peer mentors (n\xa0=\xa08) completed two mentoring sessions with a standardized mentee in a telephone and a video chat condition. Measures of therapeutic alliance and autonomy supportiveness were administered following each session. Mentors leadership behaviors, motivational interviewing skills, and behavior change techniques were compared across conditions. Mentors and mentees use of motivational interviewing skills and behavior change techniques were further analyzed using state space grids.\n\n\nRESULTS\nMentors therapeutic alliance, autonomy supportiveness, use of leadership behaviors, motivational interviewing skills, and behavior change techniques did not significantly differ across the two conditions (ps\xa0>\xa00.123; Cohen s d range\xa0=\xa00.218-0.619). State space grids analyses revealed that the dynamic structure of mentoring conversations was similar when interactions occurred through the telephone versus video chat.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nMentors were effective at forming positive, autonomy supportive relationships with mentees in telephone and video chat interaction conditions. Mentors also used leadership/counselling behaviors to a similar extent when interacting through these two modalities.\n\n\nPRACTICE IMPLICATIONS\nOrganizations that provide peer mentorship can have confidence in using both telephone and video chat modalitites.