Learn about the benefits, challenges, and best practices of utilizing telehealth for mental health care, and how it can positively impact individuals seeking help and support.
Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a great introspection of the human mind. As rising cases called for stricter lockdown and self-isolation policies, everything came to a standstill. This detachment from the outside world gave rise to several cases of deteriorating mental health in individuals.
Minimum social interaction gave birth to rising instances of anxious and depressive episodes. According to a brief by WHO, the first year of COVID-19 gave rise to the global prevalence of anxiety and depression by an astounding 25%. Therefore, while eliminating the pandemic’s profound viral spread was pertinent, diminishing the mental health outcomes as a result had also become an urgency.
Over the next few years since the pandemic, the healthcare industry has undergone a massive metamorphosis in its clinical, business, financial and operational aspects. Once such major technological advance, is the advent of telehealth.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth services allow clinical professionals to provide their patients with the optimum health care advice, consultations and medical intervention and complete basic diagnostic procedures, from the comfort of the patient’s home.
During the trying times of the pandemic, this fascinating technology allowed patients to acquire any medical advice needed, without having to leave the premises and risk exposing themselves to possible viral spread.
Telehealth and Mental Health
Today, telehealth has advanced toward other specialties of the healthcare industry, including mental health. It allows patients to book appointments or consult with mental health physicians through virtual video calls.
Telehealth can benefit both children and adults alike. Not only is it beneficial for singular patient appointments, but couples who also face difficulties in their relationships and take out time to mutually consult a professional and resolve issues.
Since the pandemic affected the mental health of women and children the most during the lockdown, affecting their behavioural patterns and cultivating a significantly low attention span and an antisocial norm, the introduction of Telehealth in mental health can drastically improves health outcomes.
In 2021, The American Psychiatric Association released the results of an opinion-based poll in a news release that said that Americans were far more likely in 2021 (59%) than in 2020 (49%) to avail of Telehealth services for mental health. Most of the inclination towards Telehealth services for mental health came from younger adults.
Let us look at some of the benefits of telehealth in delivery efficient mental health:
Accessibility
A major issue that Telehealth resolves with respect to delivering efficient mental healthcare is accessibility. In most of the population of the U.S., mental health delivery systems are not accessible. Almost 50% of the countries in the USA do not provide access to a psychiatric professional. Globally, several countries have no mental health policies, or programs. This means that millions are devoid of an access to good mental health care.
With Telehealth, individuals of all ages and walks of life can interact with seasoned professionals in the mental health industry to consult on matters of the mind. Improving accessibility means improving mental health outcomes in not just the US, but across the world.
Convenience
Telehealth communication of mental health appointments means individuals can access mental health according to their preference of time and place. This means that adults and children no longer need to take time out to travel significant distances to speak to a mental health professional.
Adults can receive mental health during their work hours, or even at the end of the day, whereas children no longer need to take off from school or extracurricular to visit the therapist. Children can receive behavioural or one-on-one therapy sessions at home.
Scheduling Family Sessions
Another added benefit that telehealth provides is the feasibility of family appointments. Several in person family therapy sessions depend on whether every member of the family is free to allocate a certain hour to family therapy, or whether each member has their transportation sorted for their appointment.
While most in-person family therapy sessions can be a hassle, so educating patients on telehealth adoption allows an easy fix to address matters by having all members of the family join in, from their respective homes, through a virtual video call, with their therapist.
This allows for an ease of access as well as a relevant platform to address issues and foster good relations amongst each member of the family at each mental health appointment.
Comfort Above Everything
Due to the stigma revolving around mental health, some patients hesitate to visit mental health clinics in fear of being recognized. This can be unpleasant, distressing, and anxiety inducing. Telehealth helps fix this issue. Patients who use telehealth can get care from the convenience of their own homes and benefit from flexible scheduling, including after-hours and on the weekends.
Patient Engagement
One of the biggest benefits of telehealth is the ability to monitor patients at a distance and giving them appointment and medication reminders. This helps increase patient engagement and thus improve patient outcomes. Mental health practitioners can interact, monitor, and follow up with their patients in real-time thanks to telehealth. Moreover, they can easily assist patients in learning more about mental illness and how to contact additional treatment providers by sending them appointment reminders, coping mechanisms, mental health resources, and information. Through telehealth tools like remote patient sensors and telemedicine apps, patients’ symptoms can also be kept track of. Telehealth helps follow-up with patients and give treatment, decreasing delays in care.
Conclusion
While there is no doubt that certain barriers do exist in using telemedicine for mental health delivery, providing patients with the option to choose between in person and online appointments can allow for a better access to mental health for individuals, thus, improving transparency in the relationship between the therapist and the patients.
About us
CareCloud, Inc., formerly MTBC, is a leading healthcare technology company with a suite of unified, technology-enabled solutions for healthcare organizations, medical practices, and health systems. In today’s challenging healthcare landscape, healthcare organizations need an innovative partner who can help enhance clinical workflows, increase revenue, modernize the patient experience, and reduce operational expenses. Recognized for our inclusive, supportive culture, we attract highly talented professionals who are passionate about making healthcare better.
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