Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Natalie Hamrick

Keywords

Zoom fatigue, remote therapists, psychological well-being, social support, telehealth, work-life boundaries

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health therapists rapidly transitioned to telehealth services. In addition, therapists experienced a significant increase in client demand, leading to larger caseloads and longer waitlists. In the post-pandemic context, many therapists have continued to deliver services via telehealth, either fully remote or in a hybrid format. However, there is limited research on the relationship between telehealth intensity and therapist wellness. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between telehealth intensity (duration, frequency, and burstiness) and wellness outcomes, specifically, synchronous telehealth fatigue (STF; therapist-related Zoom fatigue) and psychological well-being (PWB). Furthermore, this study investigated whether social support seeking (SSS) and work-life boundaries (WLB) moderate these relationships. The sample included a total of 79 U.S. remote therapists. Significant findings indicated that higher levels of burstiness were related to lower PWB. Additionally, SSS weakened the relationship between telehealth frequency and STF, and between telehealth session duration and STF. WLB Rejecting tactics reduced STF at higher levels of telehealth frequency. Findings suggest the importance of therapist recovery between sessions to reduce resource depletion and the role of SSS in mitigating STF at higher levels of telehealth frequency and duration. This study fills a research gap regarding telehealth intensity and wellness outcomes, and the moderating role of resilience behaviors.

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