Covid-19 And Telemental Health: Benefits, Challenges, And Future Directions

Although the medical impacts of COVID-19 are notable, the interpersonal, financial, and social consequences of the pandemic are likely to have the largest and most sustained effect on the psychological health of Canadians. Since the onset of the pandemic, mental illness has increased and demand for resources and services are on the rise. COVID-19 has served as a catalyst for the rapid implementation and acceptance of telemental health as a psychological service delivery option. Telemental health has several benefits, including increased reach and accessibility for those living in rural areas, reduced treatment attrition, and cost savings due to reduced travel. Although telemental health may be an innovative solution for broadly delivering psychological services, it can also pose threats to confidentiality and is limited to individuals with accessibility to the Internet and capability to navigate online platforms. Telemental health may also not be appropriate for individuals with severe mental illness (e.g., active psychosis, suicidality), who require in-person services to mitigate acute risk, or in situations in which a high degree of confidentiality is critical for accurate disclosure (e.g., child maltreatment, domestic violence). In this commentary, we describe the benefits and challenges of telemental health, and also highlight important considerations for clinicians, children and youth, systems that coordinate and facilitate mental health services, and future research. We conclude that telemental health is not a panacea and requires careful consideration for appropriateness depending on client needs and confidentiality, and standards for ensuring optimal outcomes for clients.