Tele mental health helplines during the COVID-19 pandemic: Do we need guidelines?

Singh, Simrandeep; Sagar, Rajesh

doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102916

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The most frequently cited challenges have been perceptions of lower quality care and technophobia, as well as lack of equipment and infrastructure to accommodate telehealth services ( Langarizadeh et al, 2017 ). In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted existing mental health services in the vast majority of countries and served as a catalyst to push patients, providers, and healthcare systems to adapt to telemedicine as a means of safe healthcare delivery ( Singh and Sagar, 2022 ). Our study, conducted during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on patient and provider perceptions of TMH.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patient and provider experiences of telemental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in a New York City academic medical center

Benudis

Re’em

Kanellopoulos

et al. 2022

Psychiatry Research

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patient and provider experiences of telemental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in a New York City academic medical center

Benudis

Re’em

Kanellopoulos

et al. 2022

Psychiatry Research

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“…This can be done through various work-based interventions such as implementing shorter working hours and having buddy systems [ 124 ]. In addition, other measures such as providing mental health consultants and tele counselling can also help reduce the impact of the outbreak of disease on the well-being of staff members [ 125 , 126 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance among healthcare professional during the COVID-19 pandemic: An umbrella review of 72 meta-analyses

Al Maqbali,

Alsayed,

Hughes

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has significantly impacted the psychological and physical health of a wide range of individuals, including healthcare professionals (HCPs). This umbrella review aims provide a quantitative summary of meta-analyses that have investigated the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance among HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses reviews was conducted. The search was performed using the EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar databases from 01st January 2020 to 15th January 2024. A random-effects model was then used to estimate prevalence with a 95% confidence interval. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analyses were then conducted to explore the heterogeneity of the sample. Seventy-two meta-analyses involved 2,308 primary studies were included after a full-text review. The umbrella review revealed that the pooled prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance among HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic was 37% (95% CI 32.87–41.22), 31.8% (95% CI 29.2–34.61) 29.4% (95% CI 27.13–31.84) 36.9% (95% CI 33.78–40.05) respectively. In subgroup analyses the prevalence of anxiety and depression was higher among nurses than among physicians. Evidence from this umbrella review suggested that a significant proportion of HCPs experienced stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This information will support authorities when implementing specific interventions that address mental health problems among HCPs during future pandemics or any other health crises. Such interventions may include the provision of mental health support services, such as counseling and peer support programs, as well as the implementation of organizational strategies to reduce workplace stressors.

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“…Therefore, in order to improve the quality and performance of helplines, the development of short-term training courses for volunteers along with assessing their knowledge and skills through the output of exams, is necessary. Additionally, customer satisfaction feedback should be collected and reported periodically [ 93 ]. Overall, it seems that hotlines/helplines/call centers have been identified as an essential part of strategic response to crises.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Covid-19 hotlines, helplines and call centers: a systematic review of characteristics, challenges and lessons learned

Eslami Jahromi,

Ayatollahi,

Ebrazeh

2024

BMC Public Health

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Background During the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of hotlines/helplines/call centers was implemented to provide remote services and support public health. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics, challenges and lessons learned of implementing Covid-19 hotlines/helplines/call centers during the pandemic. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, IEEE Xplore, and ProQuest databases as well as Google Scholar were searched between 1st January 2020 and 31st December 2023 to retrieve relevant articles published in English. The quality and risk of bias of the studies were assessed using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS), the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Checklist. Results In total, 43 out of 1440 articles were included in this study. About half of the hotlines/helplines/call centers were launched in March 2020 (n = 19). Providing psychological support (n = 23), reliable information about Covid-19 (n = 10), healthcare advices about Covid-19 (n = 8), and triage (n = 7) were the most common purposes of implementing these services. The most common challenges included a lack of physical examination, unavailability of hotlines/helplines/call centers at the point of need, and delay in updating Covid-19 information. The most common lessons learned were employing qualified staff, providing proper training, and getting feedback from the callers and operators. Conclusion According to the results, most of the Covid-19 hotlines/helplines/call centers were launched in the early months of the pandemic, and about half of them were active seven days a week. Most of the operators were mental health providers and clinicians. The findings show the importance of continuous psychological support during crises, particularly when adequate information about the situation is not available. The challenges experienced by the callers and operators as well as the lessons learned by the service providers also need to be considered for future crises to increase the effectiveness of similar services.

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Tele mental health helplines during the COVID-19 pandemic: Do we need guidelines?

Cited by 6 publications

References 9 publications

Patient and provider experiences of telemental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in a New York City academic medical center

Patient and provider experiences of telemental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in a New York City academic medical center

Stress, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance among healthcare professional during the COVID-19 pandemic: An umbrella review of 72 meta-analyses

Covid-19 hotlines, helplines and call centers: a systematic review of characteristics, challenges and lessons learned

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