- Telemedicine is making mental health services more accessible to people in remote communities and those unable to attend face-to-face sessions, according to a new report.
- However, researchers note that lack of internet access and technology knowledge may make telemedicine services more difficult for some people.
- They also note that some people who use telemental health services are less committed and more easily distracted than those who use the service directly.
Virtual counseling sessions for mental health conditions can be effective for some people, but to make ‘telemental’ care more universally applicable, the limitations of technology and Other barriers must be addressed.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of telemedicine services, including mental health, according to researchers from the Mental Health Policy Research Unit at the UK National Institute for Health Care at King’s College London and University College London.
However, according to researchers, experience and research show that the effectiveness of telemedicine depends on access to private and confidential spaces, the ability to develop therapeutic relationships between doctors and patients, personal preferences and circumstances, and the Internet. Technical issues such as connection quality.
“We live in an increasingly digital world, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the role of technology in mental health care,” said Katherine Saunders, PhD, MSc, Co-Principal Study Author, King’s said the college’s mental health policy researcher. , said in her press statement. “Our research found that while certain groups benefit from the opportunities telemental health can offer, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We need internet connectivity, and an understanding of technology.If real-world barriers to telemental health are ignored in favor of broader implementation, we risk building more inequalities into the healthcare system.”
Research published in Interactive Journal of Medical Research, discoveredThe use of telemental health is becoming increasingly prevalent and is of particular value in serving people in remote communities and in situations where face-to-face counseling is not possible.
Jodi Tingling, founder of Creating New Step, a mental health counseling program based in Canada, said:
“In my experience delivering internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy during the pandemic, it has been a great alternative to traditional face-to-face therapy when effective risk management strategies are in place,” she said. told the line
Telemental health interventions, ideally delivered via video calls, phone calls, or text messages, could increase access to care, researchers say.
However, the study found that providing remote mental health care could help people without internet or telephone access, those who are socially and economically disadvantaged, those with cognitive disabilities, those with hearing or vision impairments, and those with serious health problems. I have found that it is not very beneficial for people with severe mental health problems.
Sabrina Ease, LPC, therapist at Enteave Counseling in Austin, Texas, said: health line.
Sonia Johnson, MD, Director of the Center for Mental Health Policy Research at King’s College London and senior author of the book, said: study.
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The study reported that patients who received both medication and counseling via text message and video call were four times more likely to achieve remission of suicidal ideation than those in the control group.
Andrea Lowell, a social worker who practices telemedicine with family health teams and private clinics in Toronto, told Healthline that virtual counseling has become more accepted and preferred over traditional face-to-face therapy. I’m here.
“Currently, we offer a choice of face-to-face, phone, or video call sessions, but the vast majority of people are more than happy to choose to do their sessions over the phone,” she said. “People now seem to agree with providers that phone and video sessions are much more convenient.”
However, Rowell said experience has shown that some people may be less enthusiastic about counseling provided via telemedicine, especially if it is provided free of charge. rice field.
“Treatment is all about communication,” she said. “On the phone, part of the therapist’s role is taken away when the therapist is no longer able to comment on the client’s body language. Because you can make a connection face-to-face … the space needs to be confidential, and if the client feels more involved in that way, we recommend moving face-to-face.”
Distractions can be another drawback to telemental health, said Mysha Jackson, a mental health counselor and owner of The Healing Journey Counseling Center in Monroe, Louisiana. .
“We have patients who try therapy while they’re at work, driving, or have small children at home,” she told Healthline. I have to let the client know that I need to do a session [where there are] No distractions.
Michelle Wagner, chief executive of virtual mental health platform Mindstrong, told Healthline that telemental health is essential to overcoming the nationwide shortage of mental health counselors.
“Virtual platforms often improve outcomes because access to care is faster and more engaging,” said Wagner.
“Patients often feel more open and safe in their own homes. Additionally, telemedicine services do not maintain their traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. , patients have the option to communicate with their therapists between appointments, allowing them to manage medications in real time, measure progress, and intervene before patients are in crisis. ‘ she added.
