Throughout these wavering and unprecedented times, individuals and their mental health have been seriously afflicted by Covid-19 and experienced an undue mental health burden of not being able to be with one another safely. This unavailability that extends beyond the individual has taken a toll on everyone but luckily through the rise of telehealth, especially telepsychiatry, providers have been able to lessen the mental health load.
If we take a look at one of the countless telehealth stories, one will discover through Debbie Heals that telepsychiatry is a necessary service that expands and improves access to all. Debbie suffered from PTSD and severe depression after losing her two children in an attack, and living in rural Anza, California restricted her access to the critical psychiatric care she needed. Luckily, through a community health center, Debbie was able to receive telepsychiatry care and connect with a provider in order to obtain the care she deserved. The availability of being able to connect with a provider regardless of location improves lives such as Debbie and has paved the pathway to healing.
Telepsychiatry has made distance constrictions, such in the case of Debbie and COVID-19, a thing of the past by allowing one to access a psychiatrist from the comfort of their own home. This convenience and enjoyment provided through telepsychiatry have increased participation rates throughout communities which leads to overall better treatment between primary and behavioral care. Simultaneously, the increase in better treatment has decreased the need for emergency room visits. Overall, access to telepsychiatry improves lives and maintains provider efficiency which benefits the entire community.
Do not let COVID-19 take a toll on one’s mental health any longer; stay safe, stay healthy, and explore telepsychiatry through Integrated Psychiatric Providers.