Telehealth in Primary Mental Health Care Services in Rural and Remote Areas: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Mental health problems are becoming more prevalent globally. Due to the rising need for primary mental health care services and an increase in the usage of digital communication tools online, innovative patient care delivery approaches are being considered. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to analyze how telehealth is used in primary mental health care in rural and remote settings. This systematic review was carried out to analyze relevant articles about telehealth in primary mental health care services in rural and remote areas. The Preferred Reporting Items For Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist provided as a guidance. The checklist from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) was used to conduct the quality assessment. The data conducted in Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Pubmed databases. The articles were published in the last five years. In the final review, twelve articles were include. The majority of telehealth in primary mental health care used in rural and remote area takes the form of videoconferencing and application. Telehealth in primary mental health care services delivered to difficult-to-reach populations, like those in rural and remote area, has significantly improved community mental health services in terms of result and satisfaction. Tele-mental health can be considered a safe and long-term solution but has several challenges that need to be address in the future.   Keywords: Mental Health; Primary Health Care; Rural and Remote Area; Telehealth