The global pandemic initiated a massive shift in the way healthcare services are delivered and received. The rise of telemedicine, particularly in the field of mental health, saw significant jumps during and after lockdown. Telemedicine has transformed the field of mental health care.
Telemedicine and psychiatric mental health fields now mean individuals have access to a wider array of services from more specialized professionals on a schedule and accessibility level that meets with personal comfort. All of this contributes to higher percentages of people getting telemedicine for mental health than ever before.
What is Mental Health Telemedicine?
Telemedicine for mental health is a way to access mental health services like individual and group therapy through a form of telecommunication, which means connecting via a laptop, tablet, or smartphone instead of in person.
Benefits of Mental Health Telemedicine
There are several benefits associated with telemedicine and psychiatry mental health.
Accessibility
The biggest benefit of telemedicine in psychiatry mental health is the accessibility. There are many places where specialized mental health services may not be available, particularly in smaller towns. However, working with mental health professionals online gives you the opportunity to find a specific type of therapy that might be best recommended for your circumstances without being limited by the working professionals in your town.
Convenience
Another benefit of telemedicine for mental health is its convenience. The ability to schedule appointments wherever you are means that you don’t have to spend extra time and money driving to an office. This is particularly important if you want to go on vacation or if you have people visiting from out of town and you still want to continue with your sessions.
Privacy and Comfort
With mental health telemedicine, you get a lot of privacy and comfort. Being able to attend your telemedicine appointments in the comfort of your own home brings with it a lot of comfort for many people. It can be much more comfortable to be open and honest about your needs when you are sitting in a safe place rather than an unknown office setting.
Many people also feel like there’s increased privacy because they can schedule appointments from their homes, without having to worry about driving anywhere, leaving work early, or otherwise informing people of their appointments. There’s also no risk of someone seeing you going to and from an office if you are worried about mental health stigma.
Continuity of Care
Telemedicine mental health appointments can offer better continuity of care. Under normal circumstances, you might not be able to find the next level of care or the right type of community support group as you transition through your mental health treatment program.
But when you utilize telemedicine for mental health, you have greater accessibility which facilitates increased continuity of care. So you were more likely to be able to step down into the next level of care or transition into another type of program.
Types of Services Offered via Telemedicine
There are several types of services offered via telemedicine.
Therapy and Counseling
The most common are therapy and counseling services. Therapy and counseling services can take the form of individual or group therapy sessions, with a wide range of different types of psychotherapy from cognitive behavioral therapy to family therapy.
Psychiatric Evaluations
You can also receive psychiatric evaluations via telemedicine. These evaluations can provide you with a diagnosis for a psychiatric condition and provide recommendations for the right type of online therapy and counseling you should receive.
Support Groups and Workshops
Depending on where you are in your mental health journey, support groups and workshops can be a viable service offered via telemedicine. Support groups and workshops offer the same types of benefits with increased privacy and accessibility no matter where you are.
This is particularly useful if you have a less common condition like schizoaffective disorder and you need to find a support group for people with the same condition, but the prevalence isn’t High where you live.
How to Access Mental Health Telemedicine Services
There are several ways that you can access mental health telemedicine services.
Technology Requirements
In most cases, the technological requirements are minimal. In general, you need:
- A computer or tablet (though sometimes a smartphone will work)
- A working microphone
- A camera
Finding Providers
Finding providers is significantly less challenging when you are searching for telemedicine services than in-person services. Simple online searches can help connect you to reputable, licensed professionals offering the types of services you are looking for.
Insurance and Cost Considerations
There are insurance and cost considerations that you have to make. In some cases your health insurance coverage will extend to online services as well, in which case you may not have to pay out of pocket but it’s still worth reaching out to your health insurance to determine what the cost will be based on the providers you find.
Ensuring Effective Telemedicine Sessions
The best way to go about ensuring an effective mental health telemedicine session is to prepare as much as possible, make sure you have good privacy, and maximize each of your sessions.
Preparing for a Telemedicine Appointment
Preparing for your telemedicine appointment can include several steps, such as the following:
- Set up your computer, phone, or tablet so that it is resting against something (like a table, chair, or set of books) in such a way that it won’t move, is at eye level, and is facing how you want it to be facing.
- Have adequate lighting so participants can see your face. This might include sitting in front of a light, near a window, or with a lamp by your side. Take time to test what the camera looks like and how it lights your face before your sessions start.
- Test your microphone and camera settings before your first appointment (and subsequent appointments), so you know they are working properly.
Privacy and Security Measures
Put into effect some privacy and security measures, especially if you live in a home with family or roommates; you might not feel comfortable listening to your conversations.
For example:
- Consider finding a room (or even a closet) where you can shut the door.
- Put a curtain or blanket up, or use a screen setting on the software to hide the background so you aren’t self-conscious about others seeing your room.
- Consider investing in a headset with a microphone so you can hear the conversation and not be distracted and so they don’t hear background noises.
Maximizing the Benefits of Your Sessions
Make the most out of your sessions by arriving for your telemedicine mental health sessions early so that you have enough time to deal with potential technical issues.
Challenges and Limitations of Mental Health Telemedicine
While there are several benefits, there are some challenges and limitations associated with telemedicine and mental health services.
Potential Drawbacks
Some of the potential drawbacks are:
- Technical issues
- Limitations with non-verbal cues
- The feeling of impersonality
It is not uncommon for people to feel like it’s not quite as personal when there is a computer involved but paying attention and acknowledging these issues can help you change your mindset so that you are more focused on verbalizing things instead of relying on nonverbal cues that you would otherwise have in person.
Addressing Barriers
One of the easiest ways to go about addressing barriers with telemedicine and mental health is to recognize what they are and find individual ways to assess them. For example, technical issues can be easily addressed by asking for help, reading technical support blogs where appropriate, or watching videos on how to overcome key technical issues. Familiarizing yourself with the platform and technology you are using before the start of any sessions can help put you at ease.
Conclusion
Understanding mental health telemedicine as a patient is essential because it is such an invaluable resource. Explore telemedicine as a viable option for your mental health care needs, especially given the wide range of services offered and the multitude of benefits you can enjoy.