The importance of telehealth for mental health care

Your mental wellbeing is central to living a fulfilling life. It’s nearly impossible to appreciate each moment when you’re burdened by feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy, constant worry, guilt, or a sense of profound sadness. 

On top of feelings of depression and anxiety, many people have the added burden of struggling to get access to the mental health care they so badly need. 

The good news? Telehealth is on the rise and is making it easier than ever to get affordable mental health care wherever you are. It’s a game changer for many people who’ve been suffering for far too long. 

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There’s no question the COVID-19 pandemic has done tremendous damage to countless millions of people. The combined effects of isolation, financial distress and uncertainty, illness, and the devastating losses of friends and loved ones mean more Americans than ever are suffering from depression and anxiety (Czeisler, 2020). 

Though it can’t take away from the pain and suffering of the pandemic, one positive effect of COVID-19 is the explosion of telehealth usage in many areas of medicine, including mental health. 

Telehealth has allowed people to work with their healthcare providers from the safety of their homes for many conditions. Hospitals, clinics, and urgent cares around the country quickly adapted to treating patients from a distance, and the uptake has been higher than most could have imagined. One study of over 36 million people showed that telehealth visits increased from 0.3% to 23.6% of all medical contacts, with behavioral health leading the way (Weiner, 2021). Behavioral health looks at the impact of someone’s behaviors on physical and mental health.

While there are situations when telehealth is not the best approach (e.g., surgery or complex testing), telehealth is the ideal method to fill the gaps in mental health services.

Depression and anxiety are more common than you might think. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 7% of U.S. adults meet the criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) in a given year, while over 30% will experience any anxiety disorder at some point in their lives (NIMH, 2019; NIMH, 2017). 

Both of these conditions increase the risk of suicide, the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. Astonishingly, it’s the second leading cause in people ages 14–34 (CDC, 2017). While depression is a major risk factor for suicide, anxiety also likely increases the risk (Bentley, 2016).

But suicide is only the worst outcome of these illnesses. For most people who have depression or anxiety, living with them is a constant strain on their professional and personal lives (Brenes, 2007). People with depression miss more work and are less productive while at work than those without depression (Greenberg, 2014). Having both anxiety and depression (a common combination) puts people at higher risk of disability and work absenteeism (Hendriks, 2015).

Beyond work troubles, anxiety and depression can damage some of the most important parts of living a rich and fulfilling life—namely, relationships and social functioning (Saris, 2017; Halford, 1999). 

In short, depression and anxiety are keeping millions of Americans from enjoying life the way they should—enjoying their work, the company of loved ones, and just living in the present moment, the cardinal feature of mindfulness.

Telehealth has been used in many settings, including primary care, urgent care, specialty care, emergency departments, and remote access hospitals for critical care. Yet, when it comes to mental health, some unique features are especially promising.

1. Reduces stigma

People are not embarrassed by their need to see a cardiologist or nephrologist or to check on their diabetes or asthma. Unfortunately, mental health care can still be viewed by some as a “weakness of the mind” or a “failure of the will.” Fortunately, this is changing, yet people remain hesitant to visit a therapist or psychiatrist. While you can always avoid the subject when talking to friends and family, there’s still no way to avoid other people in your therapist’s waiting room. 

Using telehealth, qualified professionals deliver mental health care to patients in the comfort of their homes with the ease of a smartphone or desktop computer. This simple and private approach to care removes many people’s stigma and discomfort when seeking mental health care.

Telemedicine eliminates the barriers to reaching professionals who can help people return to the lives they wish to lead. This might be one of the most critical contributions telemedicine can make to mental health care.

2. Improves access

The U.S. has a shortage of psychiatrists and psychotherapists (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2016). Moreover, they are concentrated in certain areas, making the shortage even more dire in many parts of the country. Telehealth mitigates geographic barriers to care. As long as you have a device and internet connection, you can talk to a qualified healthcare provider wherever you are. 

Access is also not simply about geography. Time for travel, transportation, and the ability to obtain and afford childcare are challenges even in places with plentiful psychiatrists and mental health professionals. The ability to connect to a physician or mental health provider from home overcomes all these obstacles. 

3. Helps you stay connected

One of the benefits of telehealth is the ability to stay more connected to your healthcare provider between visits. In traditional brick-and-mortar settings, people usually talk to their providers during appointments but have no support in between appointments. Telehealth platforms provide the option for much more frequent check-ins, whether through phone or video visits, messaging between visits, or a mixture. 

If you’re having a hard time in between appointments, messaging your healthcare provider might help you get through a tough time without having to schedule an appointment and travel into an office. Your provider can also more easily include breathing and meditation exercises, educational resources, and other homework into your treatment journey. These options deliver a much more continuous treatment experience than only seeing your provider in person monthly or weekly.

The surge in telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the tip of the iceberg for how telehealth can improve mental health care across the U.S. We’re likely to see increasing opportunities for access to affordable and convenient care, helping countless people get the support they need. What impact will this have on our society as a whole? Only time will tell.

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

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Current version

August 05, 2021

Written by

Tzvi Doron, DO

Fact checked by

Felix Gussone, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Felix Gussone, MD, Ro

Felix Gussone is a physician, health journalist and a Manager, Medical Content & Education at Ro.