Mental Health Professionals' Perceptions of Benefits and Disadvantages of Telehealth: International Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND

Telehealth has become an integral component of mental health care delivery worldwide. Understanding provider perceptions is essential to guiding its continued implementation.

OBJECTIVE

This international study used quantitative and qualitative methodologies to examine and broaden our understanding of the benefits and concerns related to telehealth for mental health care.

METHODS

An internet-based survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between November 11 and December 18, 2020, among mental health professionals, primarily psychiatrists and psychologists, registered with the World Health Organization's Global Clinical Practice Network. Clinicians completed the survey in 1 of 6 languages (Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish). Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used to analyze quantitative survey data on concerns and implementation of telehealth. Responses to an open-ended question about providers' perspectives on the benefits of telehealth were analyzed qualitatively.

RESULTS

In total, 847 participants completed the telehealth section of the survey, and 496 provided a response to the open-ended question. Quantitative data on telehealth use and concerns revealed that clinicians' primary concerns focused on technical issues and clinical effectiveness relative to in-person services, specifically, loss of clinical information (eg, nonverbal behavior) and challenges with establishing a therapeutic alliance. Findings varied by profession, World Health Organization region, and telehealth training and experience. Qualitative data examining benefits fell into 3 major areas: accessibility and reach of mental health services, efficiency and flexibility for clinicians, and enhancement of clinical processes and outcomes. Taken together, findings revealed a trade-off between telehealth benefits and disadvantages.

CONCLUSIONS

From the perspective of mental health professionals, telehealth practice comes with key challenges and valuable benefits. Findings offer important considerations for the implementation of telehealth systems, including the importance of training and education and balancing trade-offs to optimize care.