How telemental health delivered to non-traditional locations helped prepare for responses to COVID-19

摘要

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered significant changes across societies and healthcare systems worldwide through a range of isolation, suppression, and mitigation strategies (1). Disasters can exacerbate already known mental health concerns and the continued provision of mental health services is important during public health emergencies (2). A recent review evaluating the impact of quarantine/self-isolation, similar to measures used to suppress and mitigate COVID-19 spread, found that most studies reported negative psychological effects including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, anger, and other concerns associated with frustration, boredom, fear, and loss of financial and other resources (3). Telemental health (TMH), defined here as the use of technology to provide mental health care at a geographic or temporal distance, has fostered the mental health care community’s ability to adapt quickly to these mitigation strategies and has allowed for the continued provision of mental health services during this pandemic.