Comparison of telehealth and in-person mental health care in military veterans and active-duty service members

Abstract

Telehealth services are increasingly utilized to improve mental health care access for active-duty service members (ADSM) and military veterans. This article examines mental health outcomes for veterans (n = 4,536) and ADSMs (n = 378) who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition diagnostic criteria for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder (N = 4,914) and were treated at Cohen Veterans Network Clinics using either telehealth or in-person treatment modalities. Results demonstrate small but statistically significant advantages for telehealth in terms of discharge scores, rates of clinically significant change, and efficiency of treatment. For depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, veterans reported greater changes than ADSMs, but there was no interaction between treatment modality and client type. These findings support the use of telehealth as a viable option for mental health care in these populations, while suggesting several areas requiring further study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).