Source
The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table is a group of scientific experts and health system leaders who evaluate and report on emerging evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform Ontario’s response. Our mandate is to provide weekly summaries of relevant scientific evidence for the COVID-19 Health Coordination Table of the Province of Ontario, integrating information from existing scientific tables, Ontario’s universities and agencies, and the best global evidence. The Science Table summarizes its findings for the Health Coordination Table and the public in Science Briefs.
Key Message
The delivery of virtual mental health care by regulated healthcare professionals has grown substantially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the limited research conducted on this modality, virtual mental health care has been found to be efficacious for supporting patients with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, there is limited comparative evidence between in-person and virtual modalities, or for severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Thus, despite the surge in the use of virtual care during the pandemic, it is important to recognize that virtual care may not be an adequate substitute for in-person treatment for all populations or conditions. Further, while virtual mental health care has the potential to address barriers to access to care for rural and underserved communities, it may also propagate existing inequities in mental health care for under-resourced populations. Many challenges to the delivery of equitable care through virtual mental health remain. Enhancing technological literacy and access for clinicians and clients, and delivering culturally competent care that aligns with the needs of the local population and community is a largely unaddressed priority for advancing transparency, trust and equity.
Deliberate consideration of the specific needs and issues, preferences, culture and values of individual patients and communities is important to deliver culturally-competent virtual mental health models of care for equitable, accessible recovery. This should be done through close engagement and collaborative co-creation with patients, mental health researchers, practitioners and communities.