Africa turns to telemedicine to close mental health gap

A partnership between Montana State University and Seattle-based Waypoint Health Innovations is helping bring virtual mental health services to rural communities in Montana. Although the program has only been in research stages thus far, the positive effects already documented has led the program to be ushered into "widespread implementation" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The state of Wisconsin has launched a pilot initiative that aims to help farmers who are dealing with job stressors access mental health services including "a 24-hour wellness hotline, tele-counseling sessions and vouchers for in-person visits with participating mental health providers." While some of the services have proved more successful than the others, as a whole, use of the counseling services has increased, especially as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

When the coronavirus pandemic made in-person therapy sessions too risky to schedule, therapists in the Czech Republic moved their services online and set up a hotline for patients to call when needed. Although it's yet to be seen if the service will remain financially viable in regards to health insurance reimbursements, it has helped eliminate many barriers including transportation troubles and feelings of stigma.

In Montana, the transition to telehealth during the Covid-19 pandemic has helped one health care clinic provide care for more patients than before the virtual visits were necessary. Although it's not yet determined if this model of care will be sustainable in the longterm because of insurance protocols, it has allowed for the clinic to hire more practitioners due in part to health insurance relaxing telehealth reimbursement regulations. Other health agencies have also found similar benefits from the transition of care.

A community health care clinic in Oregon’s Wallowa County has been able to offer mental health services to its clients during the coronavirus pandemic thanks in part to an already-established virtual practice. In place to better serve the rural community, the clinic's telehealth option has gained even more popularity since social distancing became a necessity. Although the practice isn't without its limitations, such as access to internet, overall, the expanded access has helped reduce the impacts of isolation.

Online counseling websites that utilize the practice of cognitive behavioral therapy are helping teenagers and young adults access services they may need during challenging times. Psychologists do caution that these aren't replacements for face-to-face therapy, but that they do help when in-person options are not available or feasible.

Fifty-one counties in the state of Wisconsin do not have child psychiatrists to provide counseling because most of them live in widely populated urban areas. Wisconsin psychiatrists now are offering telepsychiatry, which enables young people to do video conferencing and live chatting with a psychiatrist even if they are in rural areas. The program has shown that it is just as effective as in-person treatment; however, Wisconsin does not allow private insurers to pay for telemedicine services so the reimbursement for telepsychiatrists is still problematic.

CAHOOTS offers counseling, conflict resolution, mediation and referral and transportation to social services and/or basic emergency medical care to people experiencing a mental health crisis. CAHOOTS is available 24/7 and sends out crisis workers and medics as an alternative to uniformed police officers. CAHOOTS has significantly lightened law enforcement’s load, allowing officers to focus more on other public safety issues while preventing unnecessarily sending people through the criminal justice system.

Recently, the importance of mental health has been championed by policymakers, the media and the public and there’s also been a shift in attitudes toward mental health and the value of counseling. Several developments like new behavioral health centers, adding mental health professionals as first responders on 911 calls and 24/7 virtual counseling have all emerged to expand access.

Telehealth is being implemented and used across the United States to assist both patients and doctors during the coronavirus pandemic. Although this practice has its limitations and cannot replace in-person diagnostic care in all situations, it has played a role in keeping the health care industry functioning in a way that also keeps doctors and patients safe from being exposed to the virus.