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ABSTRACT
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased interest in telehealth as a means of providing care for depression. In this article, we provide an overview of telehealth utilization for the treatment of depression and provide some insight into the rapid shift made to quickly implement these telehealth services into our everyday practices due to COVID-19 personal distancing requirements. We review the application of telehealth in the treatment of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. The multiple advantages and disadvantages of telehealth in treatment of depression are summarized through the literature, and we analyze the methods to improve the effect and quality of telehealth in depression treatment. It has been highlighted in the current research that against its proven capacity for convenience, its relative cheapness, and its ability to overcome geographic barriers, telehealth has its own shortfalls, including disparities in rural–urban infrastructure and an alleged inability to be exhaustive when intensive interventions are needed. Recommendations for the improvement of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic also presuppose that it is infrastructure and human resource intensive and that short-term improvements in its efficiency are largely dependent on the creativity and resourcefulness of physicians to provide custom solutions for patients.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Availability of data and materials
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Consent for publication
The manuscript is not submitted for publication or consideration elsewhere.
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.