Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39168954›Full record

ArticleThe journal of behavioral health services & research2025

Disparities and Medical Expenditure Implications in Pediatric Tele-Mental Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mississippi.

Yunxi Zhang, Lincy S Lal, Yueh-Yun Lin, J Michael Swint, Ying Zhang, Richard L Summers, Barbara F Jones, Saurabh Chandra, Mark E Ladner

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of behavioral health services & research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yunxi ZhangDepartment of Data Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2614-5246
Lincy S LalDepartment of Management, Policy and Community Health, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
Yueh-Yun LinCenter for Telehealth, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
J Michael SwintDepartment of Management, Policy and Community Health, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
Ying ZhangCenter for Informatics and Analytics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
Richard L SummersDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
Barbara F JonesDepartment of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
Saurabh ChandraCenter for Telehealth, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
Mark E LadnerDepartment of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.

Funding

HRSA HHS U66RH31459-04-00
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tele-mental health (TMH) services, including both mental and behavioral healthcare (MBH) services, emerged as a cornerstone in delivering pediatric mental healthcare during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, yet their utilization and effects on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and medical expenditures remain unclear. To bridge the gap, this study aims to investigate the association between TMH utilization and sociodemographic factors and assess its associated HCRU and medical expenditures within a pediatric population in Mississippi. Studying 1,972 insured pediatric patients who accessed outpatient MBH services at the study institution between January 2020 and June 2023, age, race, insurance type, rural residency, and household income were identified as key determinants of TMH utilization. Adjusting for sociodemographics, TMH utilization was associated with 122% more MBH-associated outpatient visits and 36% higher related medical expenditures, but 27% less overall medical expenditures. This study reveals sociodemographic disparities in pediatric TMH utilization, highlights its role in augmenting outpatient mental healthcare access, and shows its potential for cost savings. Future efforts should aim at fostering more digitally inclusive, equitable, and affordable pediatric mental healthcare services.

Indexed as

COVID-19Healthcare DisparitiesHealth ExpendituresMental Health ServicesTelemedicineAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansInfantMaleMississippiPandemicsPatient Acceptance of Health Care

Identifiers

PMID39168954
PMCPMC11685237

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.