Symposia
Telehealth/m-Health
Andel V. Nicasio, Ph.D., Other
Associate Professor
Albizu University
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Regan Stewart, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Aubrey Dueweke, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee
Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
The importance of addressing mental health problems in children and youth after exposure to natural disasters is increasingly recognized (Qi et al., 2020). Hurricane Maria caused widespread destruction in Puerto Rico and resulted in as many as 4,645 deaths on the island (Kishore et al., 2018). Recognizing the need to disseminate evidence-based trauma-focused treatment to children in Puerto Rico, a team of researchers partnered with a large mental health agency in Puerto Rico to provide Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to children with symptoms of PTSD.
During the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic many mental health practices were forced to transition to telehealth. In the context of Puerto Rico where the mental health system is greatly under-resourced and the technological infrastructure of the island is still fragile and unreliable, we examined the experiences of providers (N = 13) administrators (N = 9), children (N = 16) and caregivers (N = 17) who transitioned to trauma-informed telehealth services at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To evaluate and better understand the transition process, providers and administrators completed an online survey and qualitative interviews regarding their perspectives, levels of satisfaction, and barriers and facilitators of the transition to telehealth. Caregivers and children completed a similar survey online or via telephone. Strengths highlighted by the providers included the training and technological support in telehealth and commitment that caregivers and children demonstrated to continue treatment. Challenges noted by providers included technological problems, lack of electricity and lack of training and experience with telehealth. Overall, caregivers and children’s perspectives were positive. Children noted that they liked receiving services via telehealth. Caregivers also noted that telehealth services saved them time and money, and the quality was high. Some of the challenges highlighted by both caregivers and children were technological difficulties with internet connection, audio, lack of electricity, and lack of equipment.
This presentation will discuss the rapid and unexpected transition to telehealth services in an under-resourced mental health system during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of providers, administrators, children, and caregivers. Strengths and difficulties identified for each group will be presented. Recommendations and next steps will be discussed.