The Case for Telehealth for Mental Health
Many of us became familiar with online meetings and virtual office visits throughout the recent pandemic. Some may believe that telehealth began when the world shut down. In reality, however, it’s been around for much longer than the past few years. In fact, as early as 1879, the benefits of using the telephone to reduce unnecessary office visits began to be explored with an article in the Lancet according to the National Library of Medicine.
The American Psychological Association explains that the infrastructure for today’s telehealth, through video conferencing and technology, has been available since the mid-1990s. And a recent blog by Telement Teletherapy gives a thorough history of telehealth and the evolution of teletherapy. At Herrera, we previously gave some tips on how to get started with teletherapy for kids. One question you might still be wondering is, “does it really work?”
Telehealth for Mental Health: Does It Work?
There’s a reason so many patients and doctors tout the benefits of telehealth and, in particular, teletherapy. Simply put, the practice allows for the treatment of a broader range of individuals across a broader range of needs.
According to David Mohr, Ph.D., director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, “What we’ve seen is that telehealth is essentially just as effective as face-to-face psychotherapy – and retention rates are higher.” Dr. Mohr has spent his career studying telepsychology and digital mental health. The APA article that quotes Dr. Mohr also lists a host of research on telehealth and teletherapy. The consensus is that teletherapy is productive for those seeking mental health care.
“For patients who have never before sought care from a therapist due to various barriers – including concern about being seen at a physical clinic – the option to obtain services online can be a port of entry into mental health care,” explained Dhara Meghani, Ph.D., an assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of San Francisco who was quoted in the same article above.
Telehealth for Mental Health: Why Should We Continue to Use It?
The world is returning to normal, and the ability to set up in-person appointments has returned. So, you may be wondering if telehealth and teletherapy is still a good resource for parents. The short answer is yes. Teletherapy is another tool that parents can utilize when schedules are busy, time is short, and everyone is being pulled in a million different directions.
As school starts back up, balancing life with the physical office gets harder and harder. Obligations from homework to extracurriculars pull focus for both you and your children. The danger as we get busier is for telehealth to go by the wayside in favor of other activities as they pop up. But we know mental health is healthcare, and it’s essential for children to receive the healthcare they need before they hit a crisis moment. This is exactly where telehealth can bridge the gap between parents and kids.
Cutting out the time it takes to drive to appointments and adding more availability in teletherapy appointments means you and your child have more hours in the day. Regardless of the status of the outside world, virtual appointments aren’t going away, and they are still an excellent way to receive mental health care.
At Herrera, we’ve been working hard to make teletherapy even more accessible. We recently opened a new location in North Port with a focus on providing new evaluations and teletherapy. For more information on how Herrera Psychology can help you and your child or to schedule a consultation, go HerreraPsychology.com.
