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Man with folded harms Seeking Online Counseling Overcome Barriers to Access

Can Online Counseling Overcome Barriers to Access?

Three important questions:

Is there a problem with access to mental health services?
Why are people not receiving treatment?
Can telemental health help?

Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health show that 19.3 percent of adults with any mental illness perceived an unmet need for mental health care in the past year. That is 8.4 million adults. (Resource)

The reported reasons for not receiving mental health services by percentage were:
  • Could not afford cost 55%

  • Did not know where to go for services 24.6%

  • Concerned about confidentiality 10.7%

  • Might cause neighbors/community to have negative opinions 11%

  • Did not have time 14.8%

  • Did not want others to find out 6.8%

  • Might have a negative effect on jobs 8.7%

  • No transportation/inconvenient 3.6%

Online counseling can help overcome each of these barriers to access by:
  • Reducing cost.
  • Making it easier to find treatment.
  • Making treatment more private.
  • Reducing the time it takes to receive treatment.
  • Reducing the need for clients to leave work for treatment.
  • Increasing the convenience of receiving treatment and reducing the need for transportation.

Taking great care not to break any confidentiality, share how you have found online counseling to overcome barriers to access by leaving a comment.