Telemental health care: provider's knowledge and beliefs

Abstract

University X, a state university in a northwestern state, offers a wide range of health care services for its students, one of which is mental health care. For students living on or near the university's main campus, access to care is generally not a problem. However a majority of nursing students are located on its distant satellite campuses 200 miles or more away, and distance serves as a barrier to access. This barrier to services is especially concerning when a student is experiencing an emergency or crisis, and it could potentially be mitigated by the use of telemental health. The purpose of this DNP project was to explore University X mental health care providers' knowledge and beliefs regarding telemental health. Providers were recruited from the counseling center (CC) and the student health center (SHC) on the University X campus. Providers completed an online survey that examined self-assessed knowledge and beliefs regarding telemental health. Fourteen providers completed the survey; two that identified as previous or current users of telemental health and 12 as nonusers of telemental health. The survey results highlighted the knowledge and beliefs regarding telemental health of both users and nonusers regarding quality of interactions with clients, inconveniences, and licensure. Baseline survey results were presented to the staffs of both agencies, accompanied by a presentation of literature that addressed these concerns and supported the use of telemental health. A follow up survey demonstrated some change in select attitudes.