Telehealth accounted for more than one-quarter of all outpatient mental health care among U.S. adults in 2021 to 2022, according to a Nov. 26 JAMA Psychiatry study. Researchers examined national trends by care modality, revealing notable differences by age, income, education and treatment type.
Responses from 4,720 adults in HSS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s “Medical Expenditure Panel Survey” for 2021 to 2022 were analysed to assess modality use and sociodemographic patterns.
- Among surveyed adults, 27.8% received all care via telehealth, 21.5% used hybrid care and 50.6% received all in-person care.
- Telehealth use is highest among adults age 18 to 44 (31.7%), college graduates (34.5%), higher-income individuals (33.8%), private insurance holders (30.8%) and urban residents (29.2%)
- Patients receiving psychotherapy only (41.6%) or with medication (25.9%) used telehealth more than those treated solely by counselors (10.9%) or social workers (8.4%).
- Adults with less-than-moderate psychological distress were more likely to use telehealth (29.2%) compared to others.
Limitations of the study include reliance on self-reported data, which may have led to underestimation of mental healthcare use and non-diagnostic K6 scores. Statistical adjustments for multiple comparisons were not made, and small sample sizes required combining telehealth types. Nonresponse bias may remain despite weighting adjustments. The COVID-19 pandemic likely influenced treatment of these patterns. The survey also did not allow for assessment of clinical effectiveness.
