One in every five adults in the US reports having mental health needs that aren’t being met. Long-term neglect of mental health conditions can have negative consequences for both the individual and society.
We’re still dealing with societal issues like the opioid epidemic, which are driving up demand for mental health treatment, particularly in rural places where access is limited.
Tele health – the use of telecommunications technology to provide long-distance healthcare – has become a lot more common in this past year since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. People realized that it’s a good way to keep in touch with their health care providers while avoiding waiting rooms and staying safe.
Beyond the convenience of attending a doctor’s appointment from the privacy of one’s own home, the tele health boom has made healthcare more accessible to people who are often stigmatized by the traditional medical system.
As more providers have embraced this type of technology in the last year, platforms have emerged that are expressly intended to deliver more inclusive care and provide a valuable alternative to the traditional and often exclusionary healthcare settings.
Obstacles to Receiving Mental Health Treatment
More than 30 million people in the US live in areas that don’t provide access to even one psychiatrist, and this shortage is not the only obstacle keeping Americans from getting the care they need.
Although mental health is becoming more widely acknowledged and understood, there is still a considerable amount of fear and stigma, particularly in areas where mental health education is lacking.
While 80% of American adults believe treatment for mental health conditions is effective, only two thirds of them believe others are sympathetic toward people struggling with this type of conditions.
Meeting People Where They Are
The present mental health landscape may appear bleak with so many people either not having access to mental health services or not understanding their importance, but the growing popularity of tele health does provide a silver lining.
Tele health helps increase the accessibility of mental health care in the US and worldwide. Health care providers are becoming more aware of how critical it is to be able to offer services virtually, especially when events such as the ongoing pandemic cause disruptions.
As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, a number of reforms have occurred in the United States, many of which stem from Congress passing the CARES Act.
Other countries are also looking into the potential of tele health. In India, for example, officials are adamant about changing their current stance on mental health. Although some technology infrastructure is lacking in the country, steps are being taken to address this issue and make mental health services available to anyone with an internet connection.
Mental health is one of the areas of health care that can benefit most from telehealth since it usually doesn’t require physical exams, so the sessions can be carried out entirely online or combined with in-person visits if that’s preferred.
And it seems that telehealth will become even more prevalent in the coming years, with 70% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 44 saying they would prefer to receive mental health care via telehealth rather than face-to-face.
Technology is always evolving, and as performance will increase and prices drop, we can use it to bridge the gap between people struggling with mental health and access to treatment.
Telehealth Is Making It Easier For People to Keep Their Therapy Appointments
When the pandemic prompted mental health providers to cease meeting their clients in person and switch to remote therapy sessions, it led to an unforeseen but positive outcome: fewer people missed their appointments.
That had been an issue in mental health care for a long time, with no-show rates of approximately 60%. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, less than 10% of psychiatrists reported that all patients showed up for appointments, and this number jumped to 32% after the switch to telehealth.
Both providers and patients believe that teletherapy served as an effective lifeline at a time when anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges were exacerbated by the pandemic and the social distancing measures taken to mitigate it.
According to a review by the World Journal of Psychiatry which covered 452 studies, telepsychiatry performs just as well as in-person delivery of these services and sometimes better. Many providers want to continue offering their services remotely even after the pandemic.
At the same time, some states are making temporary pandemic provisions permanent, allowing providers to be reimbursed for remote services at the same rate, which is good news for those who pay for mental health treatment through their insurance.
According to mental health providers, people often didn’t show up for their appointments because they didn’t have the means to get to their office, but sometimes it was because of their symptoms. Anxiety, panic attacks, and depression make it harder for someone to motivate themselves to attend therapy sessions.
These absences put a strain on providers who routinely overbooked their patients, expecting some of them not to show up. The switch to telehealth led to better adherence, and this practice was no longer necessary.
Another benefit of telehealth is that virtual visits help people save money. They no longer have to travel or arrange for child care.
The American Psychiatric Association did another survey and found that 43% of their respondents said they would like to continue using telehealth services after the pandemic. More than half said they would use telehealth if they’re experiencing anxiety or personal difficulties.
Demand for mental health services won’t stop when the pandemic ends since rates of people struggling with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and addiction were on the rise before 2020.
We hope that in the following years, telehealth companies will take further steps to increase access to mental health services for underserved populations. This will be a significant step in realizing telehealth’s potential as a technology that can be used to improve the lives of individuals from all demographics.
