Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Oct 8;4(10):e21344.
doi: 10.2196/21344.

Integration of Online Treatment Into the "New Normal" in Mental Health Care in Post-COVID-19 Times: Exploratory Qualitative Study

Joyce J P A Bierbooms  1   2 , Monique van Haaren  2 , Wijnand A IJsselsteijn  3 , Yvonne A W de Kort  3 , Milou Feijt  3 , Inge M B Bongers  1   2
Affiliations

Integration of Online Treatment Into the "New Normal" in Mental Health Care in Post-COVID-19 Times: Exploratory Qualitative Study

Joyce J P A Bierbooms et al. JMIR Form Res. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated an immediate and large-scale uptake of online treatment for mental health care. However, there is uncertainty about what the "new normal" in mental health care will be like in post-COVID-19 times. To what extent will the experiences gained during the pandemic influence a sustainable adoption and implementation of online mental health care treatment in the future?

Objective: In this paper, we aim to formulate expectations with regard to the sustainability of online mental health care after COVID-19.

Methods: In an interview study, 11 mental health care professionals were asked about their experiences and expectations for the future. Participants were recruited from a mental health care organization in the Netherlands. The interviews took place between April 7-30, 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis in the Netherlands. The data were analyzed using a thematic coding method.

Results: From the interviews, we learn that the new normal in mental health care will most likely consist of more blended treatments. Due to skill enhancement and (unexpected) positive experiences with online treatment, an increase in adoption is likely to take place. However, not all experiences promise a successful and sustainable upscaling of online treatment in the future. Mental health care professionals are learning that not all clients are able to benefit from this type of treatment.

Conclusions: Sustainable upscaling of online mental health care requires customized solutions, investments in technology, and flexibility of mental health care providers. Online treatment could work for those who are open to it, but many factors influence whether it will work in specific situations. There is work to be done before online treatment is inherently part of mental health care.

Keywords: COVID-19; mental health care; online treatment; sustainability.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Themes and subthemes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Andersson G, Cuijpers P, Carlbring P, Riper H, Hedman E. Guided Internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Psychiatry. 2014 Oct;13(3):288–95. doi: 10.1002/wps.20151. doi: 10.1002/wps.20151. - DOI - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. de Grood C, Raissi A, Kwon Y, Santana MJ. Adoption of e-health technology by physicians: a scoping review. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2016;9:335–44. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S103881. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S103881. - DOI - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Connolly S, Miller C, Lindsay J, Bauer M. A systematic review of providers’ attitudes toward telemental health via videoconferencing. Clin Psychol Sci Pract. 2020 Jan 06;27(2):e12311. doi: 10.1111/cpsp.12311. doi: 10.1111/cpsp.12311. - DOI - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Feijt MA, de Kort YA, Bongers IM, IJsselsteijn WA. Perceived Drivers and Barriers to the Adoption of eMental Health by Psychologists: The Construction of the Levels of Adoption of eMental Health Model. J Med Internet Res. 2018 Dec 24;20(4):e153. doi: 10.2196/jmir.9485. http://www.jmir.org/2018/4/e153/ - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ross J, Stevenson F, Lau R, Murray E. Factors that influence the implementation of e-health: a systematic review of systematic reviews (an update) Implement Sci. 2016 Oct 26;11(1):146. doi: 10.1186/s13012-016-0510-7. https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13012-... - DOI - DOI - PMC - PubMed