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Anxiety, Depression Diagnosis Triples Likelihood of Pandemic Telehealth Use
Although less than half of adult patients in Arkansas reported using telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth utilization was nearly 3 times more likely if patients had a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. Researchers published their findings in the journal Telemedicine and e-Health.
“This is especially reassuring in a largely rural southern state where access to mental health care is limited in many areas and where 65.5% of individuals with mild mental illness and 39% of individuals with moderate mental illness do not receive care,” wrote researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville.
Findings stemmed from a cross-sectional survey of 754 adults who were patients at 6 clinics in Arkansas. Respondents were recruited between October 30, 2020, and January 16, 2021.
Phone Intervention Appeared to Ease Loneliness, Depression During COVID-19
Just 42% of patients said they had used telehealth during the pandemic, according to the study. However, among the 50.9% of respondents with a diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression, the odds ratio of telehealth use was 2.97 higher than that of other respondents.
The study also found that respondents with a college education were more likely to have used telehealth during the pandemic compared with patients with less education.
“Understanding the relationship between mental health diagnoses and telehealth usage, particularly in the time of a pandemic, can help to improve online mental health care and reduce barriers to accessing services,” researchers wrote. “The results indicate that despite the increase in telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still a need for outreach and programming to increase telehealth utilization, especially among those with lower educational attainment.”
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