Individuals who have been diagnosed with clinical depression may benefit from therapy done over the telephone rather than in person with their therapist, according to a study published in Behavioral Therapy.

A team of professors from Brigham Young University enrolled 30 participants into a study who had been diagnosed with major depression. The individuals, who normally attend visits at a clinic for therapy, took part in a number of phone sessions with their therapist. During the study, patients were not taking antidepressants.

After six months, the professors discovered that about 42 percent of the individuals in the study showed no signs of depression. On average, about 50 percent of patients who meet face-to-face with their therapist recover from depression.

Diane Spangler, a psychology professor at the school and co-author of the study, stated that “offering a phone or webcam option for psychotherapy does appear warranted from an efficacy point of view.” She added that “it’s more user-friendly – no commutes, more flexible of place and time – and has no side effects.”

In the U.S., approximately 10 percent of the nation’s population aged 18 years and older suffers from depressive symptoms, according to DepressionStatistics.org.