A new study out of the University of Washington (UW) said message-based therapy — things like texts, emails, even voice memos — is just as effective as video sessions when it comes to treating depression.

Researchers followed 850 adults over 12 weeks. Whether patients received help through messages or face-to-face video chats, the results were essentially the same.

There were some differences, though: more people chose message-based therapy, but those who participated in video sessions tended to build stronger connections early on.

“We found that patients improved at similar rates, regardless of whether they were communicating with their therapist through messaging or live video calls,” said Patricia A. Areán, retired professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the UW School of M

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