Introduction
Mental health is understood as a state where the individual is well enough to deal with everyday situations. A person is said to be in good mental health if they can work efficiently, develop their abilities, deal with life’s stressors, and give back to their community (Patel et al., 2018). After all, living in the contemporary world implies dealing daily with the complications caused by the intense pace of life. This paper will evaluate mental health as a clinical problem and how limited utilization of webcam internet and mobile devices assists telemental health patients to reduce adverse effects on their health outcomes. This aspect will be compared to introducing tech support and education on using a webcam and mobile devices.
Global Perspective
There is an enormous prevalence of mental health in the world. According to the World Health Organization survey, almost 1 billion people were living with a mental disorder in 2019, 14% of which were teenagers (Connery et al., 2020, p. 320). Global challenges such as social inequality, the Covid-19 pandemic, war, and the climate crisis threaten global mental health. According to the study, depression, and anxiety increased by more than 25% in the first year of the pandemic alone (Connery et al., 2020, p. 321). Moreover, suicide was responsible for more than one in 100 deaths, and 58% occurred before 50 (Connery et al., 2020, p. 321). Interventions for mental health are necessary to combat global mental health.
Localized Institutional Problem
The mental health crisis is a concern not only from a global perspective but also a localized institutional problem. Many people have experienced problems such as anxiety, depression, panic, and mental exhaustion, among many others, in such an intense way. In local institutions, the number of mental health patients who are brought for therapy continue to increase with time. Essentially, providing efficient healthcare has called for the application of telemedicine at Charis Mental Health Service Suffolk VA Outpatient telehealth. However, minimal problems are associated with the patient’s use of a webcam and mobile devices to access telehealth services.
Risk Factors Associated with the Disease
Regardless of age, gender, financial level, or ethnicity, everyone has some chance of acquiring a mental health issue. A few risk factors for common mental health problems are underlying medical issues, bad childhood experiences, social and financial circumstances, and biological variables. Many individuals with this disorder deal with many conditions simultaneously (Patel et al., 2018). A family with a genetic history of mental health disorders increases the likelihood of mental health conditions linked to a specific transfer of genes and gene variants across the generations. Patel et al. (2018) says that maintaining good mental health requires a careful balancing act of variables, and several circumstances can contribute to the emergence of these diseases. Therefore, the severity of these risk factors determines an individual’s prevalence of mental health disorders.
Barriers to Addressing the Problem
People with mental illness often face obstacles in accessing professional care, with marked damage to their health. It is thought that these barriers may be related to knowledge about mental health. Based on this, Kola et al. (2021) found that the relationship between knowledge about mental health and barriers to accessing professional care determines the efficiency of patients’ outcomes. These barriers include licensing requirements of providers for performance and payment, medical malpractice insurance for telemedicine; adherence to confidentiality and security regulations; and establishment of protocols to manage lab tests, prescriptions, and scheduling (Kola et al., 2021). These barriers influence social stigmas and are influenced by empathy and individual personality.
Evidence of the Problem Existence
Data from Charis Mental Health Service Suffolk VA Outpatient telehealth institution shows that the use of telehealth in addressing mental health faces concrete barriers. These concrete limits in the use of telehealth are highlighted, especially regarding the assistance needed during this epidemic period (Kola et al., 2021). Although virtual visits are faster than in-person visits, they do not diagnose anything. No telehealth app can conclusively tell a patient whether they are infected with a specific mental health disorder and selected patients “virtually” still require face-to-face testing to identify the mental health disorder (Kola et al., 2021). Some appointments require physical exams that can be difficult to perform remotely.
Significance: Importance of the Problem of Interest
Addressing mental health via telemedicine applications will limit the social determinants of health, increasing the prevalence of mental health. The intensity of initiatives triggered in a short period is conditioned to regulations that systematically highlight the exceptionality of this health problem (Connery et al., 2020). There is much to be built and implemented in health institutions so that telehealth can effectively occupy the various spaces mentioned. Mental health will be addressed in a new configuration to strengthen the unique and universal telemental health system. Telehealth will provide hope and rights regarding mental health outcomes to over a billion people worldwide.
The essence of Addressing the Problem Globally
Telehealth can be critical to increasing the capacity to combat mental health disorders while keeping health services functioning and safer. It is also seen as an effective alternative to face-to-face visits by mental health patients with other healthcare needs, helping preserve services for patients in need of personal care (Connery et al., 2020). The immediate use and successful application of telehealth to address mental health challenges will likely increase public and governmental acceptance of such technologies for mental health in the future. The knowledge of how to use webcams and mobile devices is the initial step to combat the high prevalence of mental disorders around the globe.
The essence of Addressing the Problem Locally
Addressing clinical mental health problems locally can be an efficient intervention to combat mental health and eventually minimize the problem across the nation. Local addresses for mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress are the initial steps to eliminating the health problem in society (Kola, 2020). Ending stigmas associated with depression and other mental health illnesses requires increasing public understanding of these conditions. Awareness of depression also enables people to realize that they are not alone and that numerous support systems are accessible to them to assist them in combating this illness.
Morbidity and Mortality Statistics
A survey conducted by Connery et al. (2020) shows the morbidity and mortality related to Mental Disorders in the United States. From a national perspective, in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 USA had 10,256, 10,948, 11,560, and 11,861 reported deaths having mental disorders as the main cause, respectively. This represents 5.49, 5.78, 6.09, and 6.19 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (Connery et al., 2020, p. 323). In those years, the number of admissions to psychiatric hospitals in the United States was 317,441, 290,079, 304,522, and 275,286, respectively, with an average stay between 45 and 50 days (Connery et al., 2020, p. 323). Hospital mortality related to mental disorders was 3.95, 4.22, 3.79, and 3.89 deaths per 1,000 admissions (Connery et al., 2020, p. 320). The morbidity and mortality figures indicate that mental health issues have continued to soar gradually.
Financial Value of the Problem
According to Connery et al. (2020), money is most people’s main stress source. Financial problems negatively affect health as a whole, having an even more profound impact on the mental health of individuals. According to Kola (2020), people who are heavily in debt are three times more likely to have serious mental health problems. The same study found that 93% of people with poor mental health spend more than usual, 92% find it more difficult to make financial decisions, and 74% avoid paying bills (Maulik et al., 2020, p. 10). Like financial health affects people’s mental health, mental health affects people’s financial health.
How the Problem Improves Healthcare Outcome and Financial Status
Mental health problems deteriorate individuals’ financial status as they cannot work in challenging mental conditions. Therefore, correcting this problem impacts the individuals’ financial status and health outcomes. Several factors, life events, and other circumstances lead someone to develop various types of mental and emotional disorders (Maulik et al., 2020). A financial problem can worsen the situation of those who already have other difficulties, leading to negative thoughts about life, for example, or increasing anxiety, melancholy, and hopelessness. If the problem is financial, seek to learn more about financial education. It will give the patient the knowledge and confidence needed to make more balanced decisions.
Meaning of PICO and its Essence in Evidence-Based Practice Application
PICO stands for population or problem, intervention, comparison, and intervention. PICO assists in building a research question and searching for evidence. The PICO technique aids in these definitions since it directs the development of the research question and the bibliographic search (Maulik et al., 2020). It enables the clinical and research professional to access the best material properly and promptly when they have doubts or questions. The PICO question of this study is: In telemental health patients, how effective are limited utilization of webcam internet and mobile devices compared to the introduction of tech support and education to assist them in webcam and mobile devices access in reducing adverse effects on the patient outcome?
PICO Question
In telemental health patients, how effective is limited utilization of webcam internet and mobile devices compared to introduction of tech support and education to assist them in webcam and mobile devises access in reducing adverse effects on patient outcome?
Population
The population of this study includes mental health patients at Charis Mental Health Service Suffolk VA Outpatient telehealth. The main problem with mental health patients in this facility is using technology resources to access professional care. Mental health patients suffer from disorders that limit them from using webcam internet and mobile devices to understand the psychiatrist’s instructions. Therefore, this is the premium social determinant factor limiting efficient patient outcomes of the institution’s telemental health system. Addressing the problem will combat the prevailing mental health disorders in the US and improve overall health care.
Intervention
This paper proposes a limit to webcam internet and mobile devices to assist mental health patients and reduce adverse effects on patient outcomes. Mental health patients spend much time on mobile devices exploring stray social media resources during telehealth sessions with the psychiatrist. This limits the effectiveness of the telehealth sessions on mental health patients’ outcomes. Research indicates that spending too much time on the internet is linked to increased anxiety and depression (Spoorthy et al., 2020). Therefore, this study believes that eliminating webcam internet and mobile devices cameras cam improves concentration in psychiatric sessions, improving patient outcomes and minimizing adverse mental health effects.
Comparison
There is a difference in the patient outcome when webcam internet and mobile devices are used in psychiatric telemedicine sessions as opposed to non-utilization. This paper compares the effectiveness of limiting the use of webcam internet and mobile devices to educating and supporting mental health patients on the technological knowledge to use these resources. Following the webcam internet and mobile devices currently used in telemental health, patient outcomes have minimal improvement. Therefore, this study seeks to identify whether eliminating the webcam and mobile device cameras will reduce adverse effects on patient outcomes.
Outcome
This study anticipates that limiting webcam internet and mobile devices will improve mental health outcomes among the patients who attend Charis Mental Health Service Suffolk VA Outpatient telehealth sessions. The mental health outcomes produce new demands and opportunities for psychiatry (Spoorthy et al., 2020). This will increase adjustment problems and anxiety among the population, which can increase the demand for mental health services. The outcome of this PICO question anticipates that the widespread need for remote work will fuel renewed interest in telehealth with opportunities to increase access to care.
Conclusion
Telehealth is an efficient intervention for mental health as it will reach many patients simultaneously. However, increasing reliance on telehealth can worsen treatment outcomes for other populations or exacerbate existing healthcare inequities, even as lowering regulatory and financial obstacles can expand access to care. This is especially true if some locations only have limited access to broadband webcam internet or if low-income or clinically susceptible populations cannot use it. Moreover, mentally ill patients might be unable to use webcams and mobile devices in psychiatric sessions. Future studies are required to determine how telehealth technologies might expand fair access to mental health treatment in the face of rising general demand.
References
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Kola, L. (2020). Global mental health and COVID-19. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(8), 655–657. Web.
Kola, L., Kohrt, B. A., Hanlon, C., Naslund, J. A., Sikander, S., Balaji, M.,… & Patel, V. (2021). COVID-19 mental health impact and responses in low-income and middle-income countries: reimagining global mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(6), 535-550. Web.
Maulik, P. K., Thornicroft, G., & Saxena, S. (2020). Roadmap to strengthen global mental health systems to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 14(1), 1-13. Web.
Patel, V., Saxena, S., Lund, C., Thornicroft, G., Baingana, F., Bolton, P.,… & UnÜtzer, J. (2018). The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. The lancet, 392(10157), 1553-1598. Web.
Spoorthy, M. S., Pratapa, S. K., & Mahant, S. (2020). Mental health problems faced by healthcare workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic–A review. Asian journal of psychiatry, 51, 102119. Web.