Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Telehealth Shifts During COVID-19 by Race, Ethnicity, and Population Density

Key Points

• This research aims to explore shifts in telehealth usage for mental health and substance use treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on demographic disparities.
• Analyzed rates of telehealth appointments for Mental Health (MH) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) before and during COVID-19.
• Comparative analysis of usage patterns based on race, ethnicity, and population density.
• Telehealth was less common for substance use treatment compared to mental health appointments.
• Telehealth utilization varied significantly among different racial and ethnic groups.
• Less populated areas showed underutilization of telehealth services.

Abstract