Could Telehealth Reduce Suicide Rates?
The likely answer is Yes.
A Time article, This Is Where Young People Are More Likely to Commit Suicide, covered a study revealing that rural areas have higher youth suicide rates compared to cities. Lack of access to mental health services and greater stigma attached to mental illness is discussed in the article as likely reasons that rural youth commit suicide at higher rates. Then the article goes on to explore the chosen methods of suicide, making gun safety the focus of a possible solution.
No doubt, gun locks and safes in rural homes may reduce the suicide rate to some degree, but that would only be removing a tool used by youths wanting to end it all. If the core problem isn’t addressed, removing one tool from a box full of them won’t make a difference. A more effective solution would be to make access to mental health care more widely available to them using telehealth. If the services are available, use of them would slowly increase and become more accepted among communities over time. The stigma would decrease and more individuals would feel comfortable getting treatment.
This is how we can address a root cause of the suicide problem. Rural families may view someone with mental illness as being “just not right”, which is not an educated assessment but does acknowledge that something needs to be solved. They just need to learn and understand the solution of mental health therapy. Bringing mental health services using telehealth to these communities opens the door to opportunities for education. Experts and patients from across the country could give lectures in schools and community groups, helping families to understand why a loved one acts out or won’t leave the house. Many of them would respond positively, and that’s where the stigma starts to lose its grip.
But this is still out of reach until telehealth can be delivered to these areas.
Although the technology for this solution is available right now, and it is relatively inexpensive compared to other health care services, money is a major barrier to delivering telehealth to rural areas. Without knowing the benefits, most rural families are not willing to spend the money on treatment. Private insurance policies only cover so much. And, according to Dr. Jim Sorg, TTC’s Director of IT, “Many California communities don’t qualify as “rural” under Medicare’s definition”. So even if someone in these communities qualifies for Medicare coverage due to mental illness, telehealth services won’t be covered because they don’t live in a “rural area”.
Efforts are always underway to make healthcare services available everywhere using telehealth. For example, Dr. Sorg will attend the 2015 Telehealth Summit presented by the California Telehealth Network. The theme for this year is Building Connections, Breaking Barriers. It’s part of our mission to constantly move toward our goal of delivering quality, affordable healthcare to those who need it.
It’s a matter of time before telehealth is commonly used across the nation. The technology is more than sufficient and constantly improves. Psychiatrists use telehealth everyday, and sing praises of the benefits that come from helping patients that normally would not be able to be seen face to face. This is good news for the future, and we can make progress faster if we keep talking about it.