According to research findings published in the publication of Counseling & Development, a publication of the American Counseling Association, people seeking mental health care during the COVID-19 epidemic were not discouraged by the massive move to telehealth services.
The study found that certain racial and ethnic minorities continued to shun counseling services, despite the fact that they were more likely than non-Hispanic white persons to deal with mental health difficulties.
“The findings lend support to policies that expand insurance coverage for telehealth counseling,” said main author Yusen Zhai, an associate professor of counseling and head of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s community counseling clinic. “This is particularly relevant as we navigate the post-pandemic era and consider the future of health care delivery.”
During the initial months of the epidemic, insurers expanded coverage for telemedicine services since lockdowns prohibited counselors from visiting clients face to face. Zhai and his colleagues investigated if customers were resistant to telehealth counseling due to technological infrastructure issues or concerns about obtaining therapy over the phone or the internet. The researchers looked at anonymised data obtained from over 52,000 people at universities and colleges across the United States between September 2018 and June 2020. Individuals were interviewed about their background and views toward mental health treatment, and they were evaluated for depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
According to the findings, the transition to telehealth had no effect on people’s intentions to seek counseling services. The researchers also discovered that racial and ethnic minorities, who suffered disproportionately during the pandemic due to economic inequality, poor medical care, and other injustices, were less likely to seek counseling services but more likely to suffer from mental health problems.
According to Zhai, the findings indicate that telehealth is a feasible approach for delivering counseling services, particularly to clients who lack transportation or have a paucity of clinicians near their homes.
“While telehealth is a step toward eliminating barriers to mental health care and services, accessibility and reducing stigma around mental health issues and services appear to have a long way to go in some racial/ethnic minority communities,” he noted.
The Pennsylvania State University’s JoLynn V. Carney and Richard J. Hazler, in addition to Zhai, were research authors. The researchers emphasize that their study was confined to young individuals and that future research should include older groups and assess the efficiency of in-person and telehealth services.
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