With the current COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and healthcare services and professionals around the world looking to fight it head-on, the need for adequate care solutions is greater than ever.
Beyond swab and PCR tests, the demand for cutting-edge modern care has caused service providers also to consider other options and work overtime to improve their systems. While the infection rates in the world right now are daunting and often set a gloomy overtone, mental health care services’ growth is another development to watch out for.
The rise of telehealth amid the global pandemic
Ever since the first wave of lockdowns took place earlier in March this year, the increased number of citizens in isolation around the globe has caused a spike in the call for mental care.
With more patients confronting the immense stress and mental challenges associated with the pandemic and its corresponding social crises, teletherapy providers have been able to see record uptakes. However, it is worth noting that these numbers are still quite a ways away from dropping down to pre-lockdown levels anytime soon because of the catalyst’s persistence.
A grim mental health reality
According to the telehealth provider Doctor on Demand, the number of new patients seeking teletherapy or apt mental health care issues is higher than ever. The provider’s report found that the latest data on teletherapy session rates are up over 50 percent higher than the start of lockdowns and the introduction of COVID-19 related anxiety.
The main motivators for seeking adequate mental health solutions are currently heavily rooted in the economic, environmental, and societal crises related to the current pandemic. According to Teladoc Mental health vice president Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, M.D, the current issues forcing many to seek care can be explained in a straightforward turnout, saying:
“The overlapping social issues we’ve been experiencing, and the accompanying uncertainties have led to steady rises in people reaching out and seeking mental health support as we’ve never seen before. In parallel with this surging need, we’re witnessing growing comfort with virtual care, especially among older adults, giving many individuals who may not have sought mental health care in the past an extraordinary opportunity to put themselves on the right path to better health.”
Tangible results
As current lockdown situations in parts of the globe accelerate the growing need for adequate and responsive mental health care, service providers now deal with increasingly-large waves of patients. In the same study above, text-based mental health coaching, teletherapy, and psychiatry giant Ginger reported that their utilization rates quickly rose to new heights at the end of September this year.
Specifically, the service’s usage rates for text-based mental health coaching were up by 159 percent. Both its virtual psychiatry and therapy service usage rates were also up by 302 compared to pre-Coronavirus averages. Based on the same report put out by Ginger recently, the company’s psychiatrists have also written 163 percent more prescriptions for psychotropic drugs (such as antidepressants).
This means that healthcare providers are now obliged to adapt by tailoring their present mental health care services in the digital age. Fortunately, providers have been quick to respond to the point where even groups not known for embracing mental health care have felt the liberty to seek digital help.
Conclusion
While physical health may be the primary focus of most medical service providers amid the pandemic, it is also critical for establishments and professionals to take a closer look at the mental health repercussions. As a clinician, clinic head, or hospital manager, it is critical to ensure that you are able to provide adequate solutions for patients in need, both physically and mentally!
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