Use of Asynchronous Virtual Mental Health Resources for COVID-19 Pandemic–Related Stress Among the General Population in Canada: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in profound mental health impacts among the general population worldwide. As many in-person mental health support services have been suspended or transitioned online to facilitate physical distancing, there have been numerous calls for the rapid expansion of asynchronous virtual mental health (AVMH) resources. These AVMH resources have great potential to provide support for people coping with negative mental health impacts associated with the pandemic; however, literature examining use prior to COVID-19 illustrates that the uptake of these resources is consistently low. Objective The aim of this paper is to examine the use of AVMH resources in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic among the general population and among a participant subgroup classified as experiencing an adverse mental health impact related to the pandemic. Methods Data from this study were drawn from the first wave of a large multiwave cross-sectional monitoring survey, distributed from May 14 to 29, 2020. Participants (N=3000) were adults living in Canada. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample, and bivariate cross-tabulations were used to examine the relationships between the use of AVMH resources and self-reported indicators of mental health that included a range of emotional and coping-related responses to the pandemic. Univariate and fully adjusted multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine associations between sociodemographic and health-related characteristics and use of AVMH resources in the subgroup of participants who reported experiencing one or more adverse mental health impacts identified in the set of self-reported mental health indicators. Results Among the total sample, 2.0% (n=59) of participants reported accessing AVMH resources in the prior 2 weeks to cope with stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the highest rates of use among individuals who reported self-harm (n=5, 10.4%) and those who reported coping “not well” with COVID-19–related stress (n=22, 5.5%). Within the subgroup of 1954 participants (65.1% of the total sample) who reported an adverse mental health impact related to COVID-19, 54 (2.8%) reported use of AVMH resources. Individuals were more likely to have used AVMH resources if they had reported receiving in-person mental health supports, were connecting virtually with a mental health worker or counselor, or belonged to a visible minority group. Conclusions Despite substantial government investment into AVMH resources, uptake is low among both the general population and individuals who may benefit from the use of these resources as a means of coping with the adverse mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the barriers to use.

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Mental Health in Canada: Findings from a Multi-Round Cross-Sectional Study

“…This is consistent with related research using the same survey data that found only 2.0% of the general population in Canada had accessed virtual health services in May 2020 [40]. The reasons for not accessing virtual mental health services were also comparable to the barriers identified in previous research, including not feeling in need of help, not knowing supports were available, not having time or energy, preferring in person healthcare supports, and not believing it would help [40,41]. However, greater uptake was observed among parents reporting mental health challenges (17.9%), suggesting that virtual mental health services may be an underutilized but nonetheless important avenue to meet a growing demand for mental health supports as the pandemic and its social and economic repercussions continue.…”

“…Accessing virtual mental health supports was infrequently reported throughout the study period, with only 3.5% of the total parent sample reporting accessing these supports as a way to cope with stress from the pandemic in the past 2 weeks. This is consistent with related research using the same survey data that found only 2.0% of the general population in Canada had accessed virtual health services in May 2020 [40]. The reasons for not accessing virtual mental health services were also comparable to the barriers identified in previous research, including not feeling in need of help, not knowing supports were available, not having time or energy, preferring in person healthcare supports, and not believing it would help [40,41].…”

Investigating the Persuasive Effects of Testimonials on the Acceptance of Digital Stress Management Trainings Among University Students and Underlying Mechanisms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Additionally, previous experience appears not mandatory form positive attitudes toward digi-MHSs (Mayer et al, 2019). Overall, the low experience rates regarding digi-MHSs in our sample (5%) correspond to earlier surveys from Germany (Webelhorst et al, 2020;Breil et al, 2021) and international findings across different populations (Toscos et al, 2018;Clough et al, 2019;Richardson et al, 2020). Although research has revealed positive attitudes and the readiness to try stand-alone digi-MHSs among university students (Hadler et al, 2021), in direct comparison face-to-face support, including blended care, have been shown to be preferred in surveys, including discrete choice experiments (Phillips et al, 2021).…”

Using Peer Support to Strengthen Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

“…Additionally, self-help interventions such as bibliotherapy and computerized therapy have shown to have a somewhat positive effect on mental health but are agreed to generally be less effective than face to face therapies (28)(29)(30). Unfortunately, even though mobile apps are a very accessible and easy-to-use medium of obtaining information and accessing resources, there is a lack of evidence supporting their effectiveness in improving mental health (25,31,32).…”