Telehealth Availability for Mental Health Care During and After the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Telehealth services expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).

Objective

To evaluate changes in availability of telehealth services at outpatient mental health treatment facilities (MHTFs) throughout the US during and after the COVID-19 PHE.

Design, setting, and participants

In this cohort study, callers posing as prospective clients contacted a random sample of 1404 MHTFs drawn from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Behavioral Health Treatment Locator from December 2022 to March 2023 (wave 1 [W1]; during PHE). From September to November 2023 (wave 2 [W2]; after PHE), callers recontacted W1 participants. Analyses were conducted in January 2024.

Main outcomes and measures

Callers inquired whether

SUBMITTER: McBain RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11238022 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature