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The State and Sustainability of Telepsychiatry Programs

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Abstract

Telepsychiatry, or the provision of psychiatric care across a distance using communication technologies, has become widespread and has been used successfully for treating a variety of mental illnesses. Little is known, however, about the sustainability of telepsychiatry programs and their long-term success. The goal of this study was to determine current trends in telepsychiatry by completing an extensive literature review and to follow-up with the authors of telepsychiatry research to examine the current status of their programs and success factors or barriers associated with their experiences. Results indicated that modern telepsychiatry programs often target veteran/military or child populations and that many rely on either federal or internal funding. Interestingly, several researchers indicated that they wished to improve current funding mechanisms, while others wished for improvements in the technology used. Implications of these findings for behavioral health researchers are discussed, along with suggestions for improving future telepsychiatry programs.

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Acknowledgments

This study was made possible by Grant No. R21MH080699 and funded by the National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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  1. University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Carolyn Lauckner PhD & Pamela Whitten PhD

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  1. Carolyn Lauckner PhD
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Correspondence to Carolyn Lauckner PhD.

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Lauckner, C., Whitten, P. The State and Sustainability of Telepsychiatry Programs. J Behav Health Serv Res 43, 305–318 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-015-9461-z

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