SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2021
Implementation, Adoption, and Perceptions of Telemental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 106 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
106 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 188 citations in OpenAlex.
- Telepsychology and digital mental health communication: an exploratory mixed-methods study of tikTok content.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Pooled it
- The Efficacy of Rule-Based Versus Large Language Model-Based Chatbots in Alleviating Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative effectiveness of digital versus face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol use disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychological medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Patients' perspective about synchronous teleconsultation with a general practitioner: a mixed-method systematic literature review.BMC primary care · 2025Pooled it
- Factors Influencing the Engagement with Electronic Mental Health Technologies: A Systematic Review of Reviews.Administration and policy in mental health · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Evaluation of Implementation Strategies for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): a Systematic Review.Journal of general internal medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Implementation strategies for telemental health: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2023Pooled it
- Patient and provider perspectives of the implementation of remote consultations for community-dwelling people with mental health conditions: A systematic mixed studies review.Journal of psychiatric research · 2022Pooled it
- Remote mental health care interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: An umbrella review.Behaviour research and therapy · 2022Pooled it
- Implementation of Web-Based Psychosocial Interventions for Adults With Acquired Brain Injury and Their Caregivers: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Remote training of behavioral intervention facilitators: model development and lessons learned.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Trial
- Engaging underrepresented patient groups in specialised treatment - qualitative results from the PROVIDE-C randomised trial on integrated mental health video consultations for depression and anxiety.BMC public health · 2025Trial
- Exploring the Impact of Education Strategies on Individuals' Attitude Towards Telemental Health Service: Findings from a Survey Experiment Study.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2023Trial
- Occupational Licensing and Psychologist Supply.Health economics · 2026Article
- Adoption of Telemedicine in African Health Policy in Pre and Post COVID-19 Eras: Innovations, Limitations, Challenges, and Lessons Learned.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Provider and leadership attitudes toward telemental health at sites with high levels of video, phone, and in-person care: A qualitative analysis.Psychological services · 2026Article
- Real‑World Clinical Characterization of Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment‑Resistant Depression Supported by Natural Language Processing: Multicenter Observational Study From the MOOD Project.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Article
- Article
- Effect of Medicaid Audio-Only Telehealth Coverage Policy on Mental Health Visits in Federally Qualified Health Centers.Health services research · 2026Article
46 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
23 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEarly in 2020, mental health services had to rapidly shift from face-to-face models of care to delivering the majority of treatments remotely (by video or phone call or occasionally messaging) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in several challenges for staff and patients, but also in benefits such as convenience or increased access for people with impaired mobility or in rural areas. There is a need to understand the extent and impacts of telemental health implementation, and barriers and facilitators to its effective and acceptable use. This is relevant both to future emergency adoption of telemental health and to debates on its future use in routine mental health care.
objectiveTo investigate the adoption and impacts of telemental health approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic, and facilitators and barriers to optimal implementation.
methodsFour databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science) were searched for primary research relating to remote working, mental health care, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Preprint servers were also searched. Results of studies were synthesized using framework synthesis.
resultsA total of 77 papers met our inclusion criteria. In most studies, the majority of contacts could be transferred to a remote form during the pandemic, and good acceptability to service users and clinicians tended to be reported, at least where the alternative to remote contacts was interrupting care. However, a range of impediments to dealing optimal care by this means were also identified.
conclusionsImplementation of telemental health allowed some continuing support to the majority of service users during the COVID-19 pandemic and has value in an emergency situation. However, not all service users can be reached by this means, and better evidence is now needed on long-term impacts on therapeutic relationships and quality of care, and on impacts on groups at risk of digital exclusion and how to mitigate these.
trial registrationPROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews CRD42021211025; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021211025.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.