Telemental Health and Remote Work: An Exploratory Analysis of Their Dual Impact on Mental Health Professionals' Experiences During COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders.

Abstract

Rapid shifts in modes of mental health service delivery, for example, from in-person to telehealth, profoundly impact mental health workers, particularly those providing services for at-risk populations in community mental health (CMH) settings. The COVID-19 pandemic offered a unique opportunity to examine the impacts of one such transition, as CMH agencies were compelled to adopt telemental health services abruptly due to mandatory stay-at-home orders. This study examines the experiences of CMH workers during the emergency transition to remote work and telemental health services in 2020 at a large CMH agency in California. Seven months after the emergency transition to remote work, 112 providers and staff members submitted written responses to open-ended self-report questions about the impacts of remote work and the transition to telemental health on their professional and personal lives. A team of five researchers analyzed these data using content analysis. Findings underscore the dual nature of the shift to remote work and telemental health, exposing specific positive and negative impacts. Three categories of themes are identified and analyzed: structural changes, impact on staff, and impact on clinical care. Multiple themes are identified and explored within these categories, including work environment, productivity, and emotional well-being. Understanding CMH workers' needs and experiences during the transition to remote work and telemental health is critical to ensuring provider well-being and service quality. Building on these insights, tailored strategies can be developed to support the CMH workforce better during future periods of transition in modes of mental health service delivery.