The rising use of the internet for psychiatric services has changed how mental health evaluations are conducted. Tele psychiatry bridges the gap in obtaining treatment due to the current global health crisis, however it comes at a price, which reduces its effectiveness. The virtual approach, on the other hand, offers a barrier: limits in rapport building, holistic patient analysis, privacy concerns, and equal access for individuals from digitally disadvantaged and marginalized groups have all shown to be significant roadblocks that must be overcome. Even though tele psychiatry helps to close the gap between geographical areas and Pandemic situations. It still has its challenges like privacy matters, confidentiality and mainly difficulty in evaluating physical symptoms like non-verbal cues and gaining trust from the client which is a crucial part of psychiatric services.
People’s lives have been changed dramatically as a result of the pandemic’s psychological and physical effects. Increased feelings of social isolation, loneliness, burnout, stress and other mental health concerns have been observed among individuals as an effect of the nightly virtualization of operations. Other variables, such as increasing screen time, the rise in disinformation, fake news, and the harsh, visual reality mediated by news platforms, have added to the worry and confusion. The pandemic’s temporary consequences have not spared psychiatry services. Along with the expanding use of digital platforms in other socioeconomic, professional, and educational domains, the health sector has seen a growing reliance on virtual consultation and treatment. Tele psychiatry has emerged as a practical means of engaging with patients, whether through videoconferencing or other digital mediums such as live chats or phone conversations. The rising use of virtual means to deliver healthcare services and news has resulted in several different dynamics. To build a social connection, digital spaces can be used to expand the reach and overcome geographic constraints. However, one’s position in the digital economy is determined by caste, gender, and class stratifications, limiting access to tele psychiatry, media, and other types of mental health therapy. tele psychiatry is a field that allows treatment and consultation to be provided across borders. During the pandemic, its growth and adoption as an effective mode of delivery in healthcare systems have been remarkable, leading to the digitization of most doctors’ and patients’ operations globally. Adapting to these systematic changes has become necessary due to an increase in stress, loneliness, bereavement, anxiety, boredom, and social isolation among first responders and the general population. Despite increased awareness and mental health consultations, according to a recent World Health Organization survey, the pandemic has disrupted or halted vital mental health services in 93% of countries globally.
The lack of physical examinations and face-to-face encounters has also limited the treatment and evaluation options that would have been available if consultations were conducted in person. The transition to digital platforms, on the other hand, navigating in the health sector can be particularly challenging. Patient evaluation occurs via telepsychiatry by establishing a rapport that can lead to a well-rounded diagnosis or a solution to the challenges at hand. Dr Payal Chokker, a mental health practitioner in New Delhi, argues that establishing rapport is the most important factor in deciding how future sessions would go. “Rapport establishes trust and comfort with the client, which can’t be fulfilled online,” she said in an interview. The virtual medium can be an impediment to the efficacy of psychiatry services during sessions. From the patient’s perspective, seeking an emotional connection in a digital environment might be challenging because the therapist is perceived as an online presence who is otherwise non-existent in physical space. Telepsychiatry, unlike traditional in-person practice, does not provide for a thorough examination due to the clinician’s incapacity to detect nonverbal clues, body language, and the client’s general physical presence. These examination components are vital bits of information that can be used to enhance more extensive treatment and diagnosis. In addition, in emergency mental health situations, the inability to bridge a gap in knowledge of the patient’s physical symptoms can be damaging. During online consultations, many of these cues are lost in translation. Remote consultations can also compromise confidentiality, which is critical during psychiatric sessions. According to Dr Chokker, technological faults and scepticism about privacy-related problems cause apprehension in developing a trusting relationship with the psychiatrist. A virtual environment is not always a safe setting. Holding private conversations with the risk of being overheard might present difficulties to the ideal setting of interaction with a psychiatrist, especially with lockdown restrictions forcing families to stay at home. As a result, patients are more likely to have several unspoken thoughts that could be crucial to their case. As a result, many patients resort to sitting in their automobiles, at a friend’s house, or somewhere else away from others who might otherwise make the patient feel uncomfortable to open up and chat freely to find a private setting. Facilitating a secure environment during telepsychiatry meetings is difficult to achieve and beyond one’s control, partly because each patient’s social and housing circumstances differ. In this digital world, such boundaries are unavoidable. To assure mental health through a good psychiatric session, it is critical to learn from the pandemic’s lessons, which may eventually lead to better virtual therapy.
