Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Aug 13, 2025)
Date Submitted: May 5, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: May 6, 2025 - Jul 1, 2025
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The Impact of COVID-19 and Policy Changes on Telehealth Consultations for Mental Health Treatment in Australia: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
Mental health care is a major component of the services offered in Australia. Rapid adaptations in healthcare delivery occurred worldwide, with telehealth emerging as a pivotal solution due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian health care environment was also transformed by policy changes in March 2020 which expanded telehealth services, significantly impacting mental health care.
Objective:
This study examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent telehealth policy changes on telehealth consultations for mental health treatment in Australia. by general practitioners (GPs) in Australia.
Methods:
An Interrupted Time Series (ITS) analysis was employed using data from March 2017 to February 2023. The study analysed the impact of the pandemic and telehealth policies across three periods: immediate impact (March 2020 - February 2021), recovery (March 2021 - February 2022), and post-pandemic (March 2022 - February 2023), focusing on in-person, phone, and video consultations.
Results:
The introduction of telehealth services mitigated the decline in in-person consultations caused by the pandemic. While in-person consultations showed a significant immediate reduction, telehealth consultations increased, maintaining overall mental health service levels. However, the long-term trend in total GP consultations significantly changed post-intervention (2022 March to 2023 February).
Conclusions:
Telehealth effectively ensured continued access to mental health services during the pandemic. Despite the immediate benefits, telehealth did not significantly alter long-term consultation patterns. Further integration of telehealth into routine care requires addressing technological, infrastructural, and policy barriers to sustain its usage beyond the pandemic.
Citation
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