Serving Harris, Galveston, Brazoria and Fort Bend Counties
HOUSTON
December Issue 2015
Inside This Issue
TELEMENTAL HEALTH: WHY THE BOOM IS HERE TO STAY By René Quashie, Esq. Epstein Becker Green
Overweight men likely As over weight women to Face discrimination See pg. 12
INDEX Mental Health...............pg.3 Oncology Research......pg.5 Healthy Heart................pg.6 Age Well Live Well........pg.10
Memory and aging What’s normal? See pg .17
Telemental health has gone mainstream. Also referred to as telebehaviorial health, e-counseling, e-therapy, online therapy, cybercounseling, or online counseling, telemental health is the provision of remote mental health care services (usually via an audio/video secure platform) by psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists. Most services involve assessment, diagnosis, and/or therapy. Care models have evolved over the years, and range from hospitals establishing telepsychiatric assessment programs in their emergency departments to the creation of virtual networks of mental health professionals providing telemental health services to underserved areas.
surveyed have consistently stated that they believe telemental health to be a credible and effective way to provide care. The Case for Telemental Health
The most significant reason for the increasing popularity of telemental health is the fact while millions of Americans suffer from mental illness Many reasons exist for the or substance abuse disorders there is boom. First, telehealth is a good fit a shortage of qualified mental health for providing mental health services providers to address these issues. because providers rarely have to lay The numbers speak for themselves. hands on the patient in conventional According to the National Alliance of face-to-face encounters. Second, Mental Illness: telemental health is accepted by a large ∙∙ An estimated one in four number of payers as a legitimate use adults (about 60 million for telehealth — more so than other Americans) experiences telehealth disciplines. Finally, patients mental illness in a given year. ∙∙ About 14 million people live with a serious mental illness.
∙∙ About 9 million adults have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders. ∙∙ 20 million Americans suffer from substance abuse. In addition, there is a critical mental health provider shortage. According to a Mental Health America’s 2015 report regarding the state of mental health in America, only 40 percent of Americans with mental illness report receiving treatment: Moreover: ∙∙ One mental health provider exists for every 790 individuals. ∙∙ A report to Congress found that 55 percent of the nation's 3,100 counties have no practicing psychiatrists, psychologists or social workers.
Mental health parity laws, ∙∙ Approximately 20 percent of notwithstanding, cost of care remains youth ages 13 to 18 experience an issue — not to mention the severe mental disorders in a social stigma and mistrust of mental given year. health providers that exists in many ∙∙ 7 percent of American adults communities. live with major depression. Telemental health is bridging the ∙∙ An estimated 18 percent of gap. Numerous studies have shown American adults live with the effectiveness of telemental health services. For example, a recent study anxiety disorders. see Telemental Health page 16
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