Using Telehealth to Treat Depression in Rural Areas

Due to a shortage of mental health professionals (MHPs) in rural areas, primary care physicians (PCP) are often the first, and in many cases, the only providers of depression treatment for rural individuals. A paper published in a recent issue of Families, Systems & Health  examines the acceptability of behavioural telehealth to PCPs and patients with depression as a way of making mental health treatments more accessible to rural patients. The researchers conducted 10 focus groups across rural Nebraska with PCPs and patients they had treated for depression. A qualitative multiple-case study approach was used to analyze the transcriptions. The participants felt that behavioural telehealth is a reasonable solution to the access-to-care problem. They expressed concern that professional and therapeutic relationships would be difficult to maintain at a distance and they provided suggestions for how to preserve these relationships when using technology to deliver treatment such as focusing on fostering collaborative relationships between MHPs and PCPs. Despite the small sample sizes involved (7 PCPs and 28 patients), the study results shows that behavioural telehealth is acceptable to the communities although it is not the  first choice for either health providers  or patients.  It is essential for MHPs and PCPs to develop and maintain a collaborative working relationship that will facilitate frequent communication and facilitate a good therapeutic  relationship.

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