Delivering an Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatment to Underserved Populations Using Telemedicine: The Case of a Trauma-Affected Adolescent in a Rural Setting
Section snippets
Rural Considerations
While effective treatments for trauma-exposed youth exist, more recent attention has been appropriately focused on disparities in access to mental health care and understanding causes of the significant underutilization of trauma-related (and general mental health) services among certain demographic groups. The emphasis on identifying potential barriers to treatment that individuals from underserved populations may experience includes youth and families from ethnic minority groups as well as
Client Description
“Sean” was 13 years old when he was referred for mental health assessment following a severe car accident leading to his own personal injury, but more significantly in Sean’s mind, his mother’s death. Sean, a Caucasian male, lived with his paternal grandmother and younger brother (who was not involved in the accident) and attended a public middle school in a rural town in the southeastern United States. The car accident occurred 3 months before the intake session, and involved Sean, his mother,
Discussion
The use of telemedicine was able to reduce several barriers to treatment for Sean and his family. Sean’s community did not have specialized mental health services for children, and the use of videoconferencing allowed Sean to receive TF-CBT, an evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents in a remote area in which access to mental health professionals, in general, is limited. The use of telemedicine meant that Sean’s family did not have to bear the burden of costs associated with
Conclusions
Overall, the results of this case report suggest that the use of telemedicine for trauma-related services may serve as a promising method to engage underserved populations in appropriate, specialized mental health treatment. Results from this case report indicated a significant decrease in both PTSD and depressive symptoms posttreatment, suggesting that a child does not have to meet full diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD to benefit significantly from therapy services. However, given
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents
2024, Psychiatric Clinics of North AmericaCultural and Telehealth Considerations for Trauma‐Focused Treatment Among Latinx Youth: Case Reports and Clinical Recommendations to Enhance Treatment Engagement
2022, Cognitive and Behavioral PracticeCitation Excerpt :Communicating the trauma narrative to caregivers may prove difficult when Latinx parents are monolingual Spanish speakers and youth are primarily English speakers. A small but growing body of research has examined the utility of delivering TF-CBT via telehealth (Shealy et al., 2015; Stewart et al., 2019, 2020). For example, Stewart and colleagues (2020) conducted an open trial of TF-CBT delivered via school- and home-based telehealth with 70 youths (ages 7–18; 58.6% Latinx) who met criteria for a trauma-related disorder.
Telehealth Technologies in Evidence-Based Psychotherapy
2016, Computer-Assisted and Web-Based Innovations in Psychology, Special Education, and HealthIntroduction to the Special Series: Applying New Technologies to Extend the Scope and Accessibility of Mental Health Care
2015, Cognitive and Behavioral PracticeCitation Excerpt :Chu, Rizvi, Zendegui, and Bonavitacola (2015-this issue) then present their novel program that tailors dialectical behavior therapy to address the specific needs of school refusing youth that incorporates a web-based coaching component to provide active, real-time skills coaching to families at the times of greatest need and in the contexts that are most problematic (e.g., at home during morning hours). Next, Shealy and colleagues (2015-this issue) present their program for treating adolescent traumatic stress that draws on videoconferencing technology to remotely deliver care to underserved populations. Finally, Possemato and colleagues (2015-this issue) present their web-based self-management program for recent combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use problems.