Telehealth counseling linked to reduced depression and anxiety: study

Telehealth services with mental health specialists improved symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a study published Thursday by The BMJ Group.

Researchers at the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany, wrote that while “depression and anxiety disorders are among the top leading causes of years lived with disability,” access to specialized mental health care is limited for most patients.

“Previous studies have shown that telemedicine in primary care settings can be effective, but evidence is scarce for remote consultations between patients in primary care settings and offsite mental health specialists,” researchers wrote.

Investigating the effectiveness of a new 50-minute mental health video consultation model for treating people with symptoms of depression and anxiety, the researchers found that telehealth led to “small improvements in the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms” at six months, and that the effects were sustained at 12 months.