Is telehealth effective for individuals who have serious mental illness?

Several reviews show that telehealth offers the same benefits as in-person care. This is true for all mental health conditions. This includes serious mental illness (SMI).

The only known reason that telehealth may not help is if a patient does not want to participate.

Learn more about common myths around SMI and technology, including telehealth. See our infographic on this topic.

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Find tips you can use to prepare for and engage in telehealth visits.

REFERENCES

• Bashshur RL, Shannon GW, Bashshur N, Yellowlees PM. The empirical evidence for telemedicine interventions in mental disorders. Telemedicine and e-Health. 2016 Feb 1;22(2):87-113.
• Hubley S, Lynch SB, Schneck C, Thomas M, Shore J. Review of key telepsychiatry outcomes. World Journal of Psychiatry. 2016 Jun 22;6(2):269.
• Smith K et al. COVID-19 and telepsychiatry: An evidence-based guidance for clinicians. JMIR Mental Health 2020 Jul 10; [e-pub]. https://doi.org/10.2196/21108