Lessons Learned or Forgotten? Impacts of COVID-19 on the Future Direction of Global (e-)Mental Health Care

Abstract

Purpose of Review: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted lives globally, posing unique challenges to mental health services exposing vulnerability and limitations within these systems. During the course of the pandemic, telecommunications technologies (e-mental health care) have served a critical role in psychiatric care. It is important to understand current lessons learned in e-mental health care and implications for global mental health systems for both emerging from the pandemic and after the pandemic has ended. Recent Findings: There are significant regulatory, policy, and evaluation challenges for global e-mental health impacting patients, clinicians, health systems, and decision-makers. These include complex regulatory issues, difficulties of providing care across boundaries, and keeping pace with the implementation of new technologies in behavioral health. Summary: The collaborative development of global standards along with policies, appropriate regulations, and developing new models of research and development opens the possibility of improved access to care across national boundaries.