PMID- 30519259
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20220330
IS  - 1687-6415 (Print)
IS  - 1687-6423 (Electronic)
IS  - 1687-6415 (Linking)
VI  - 2018
DP  - 2018
TI  - Telemental Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.
PG  - 9602821
LID - 10.1155/2018/9602821 [doi]
LID - 9602821
AB  - INTRODUCTION: The rising incidence of mental illness and its impact on 
      individuals, families, and societies is becoming a major public health concern, 
      especially in resource-constrained countries. Consequently, there is an 
      increasing demand for mental health services in many middle- and low-income 
      countries (LMIC). Challenges such as inequality in access, lack of staff and 
      hospital beds, and underfunding, often present in the LMIC, might in part be 
      addressed by telemental health services. However, little is known about 
      telemental health in the LMIC. METHODS: A systematic review was performed, 
      drawing on several electronic databases, including PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of 
      Science, Springer Link, and Google Scholar. Original English language studies on 
      the practice of telemental health in LMIC, involving patients and published 
      between 1 January 2000 and 16 February 2017, were included. RESULTS: Nineteen 
      studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of the articles were recent, which may 
      reflect an increasing focus on telemental health in the LMIC. Eight of these 
      studies were from Asia. Eight of the studies were interventional/randomized 
      controlled trials, and 11 examined general mental health issues. 
      Videoconferencing was the most frequently (6) studied telemental modality. Other 
      modalities studied were online decision support systems (3), text messaging and 
      bibliotherapy (1), e-chatting combined with videoconferencing (1), online therapy 
      (2), e-counseling (1), store-and-forward technology (1), telephone follow-up (1), 
      online discussion groups (1), audiovisual therapy and bibliotherapy (1), and 
      computerized occupational therapy (1). Although many of the studies showed that 
      telemental services had positive outcomes, some studies reported no 
      postintervention improvements. CONCLUSION: The review shows a rising trend in 
      telemental activity in the LMIC. There is a greater need for telemental health in 
      the LMIC, but more research is needed on empirical and theoretical aspects of 
      telemental activity in the LMIC and on direct comparisons between telemental 
      activity in the LMIC and the non-LMIC.
FAU - Acharibasam, Jeremiah W
AU  - Acharibasam JW
AD  - Department of Mental Health, Navrongo War Memorial Hospital, Navrongo, 
      Kassena-Nankana District, Ghana.
FAU - Wynn, Rolf
AU  - Wynn R
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-2254-3343
AD  - Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Arctic 
      University of Norway (UiT), N-9037 Tromso, Norway.
AD  - Division of Mental Health and Addictions, University Hospital of North Norway, 
      N-9038 Tromso, Norway.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
DEP - 20181101
PL  - Egypt
TA  - Int J Telemed Appl
JT  - International journal of telemedicine and applications
JID - 101467196
PMC - PMC6241375
EDAT- 2018/12/07 06:00
MHDA- 2018/12/07 06:01
PMCR- 2018/11/01
CRDT- 2018/12/07 06:00
PHST- 2018/08/13 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2018/10/03 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2018/12/07 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2018/12/07 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2018/12/07 06:01 [medline]
PHST- 2018/11/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.1155/2018/9602821 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Int J Telemed Appl. 2018 Nov 1;2018:9602821. doi: 10.1155/2018/9602821. 
      eCollection 2018.