The Role of Virtual Care on Access to Mental Health Counseling or Therapy to Reduce Health Inequities in the United States: Considerations on Age, Race, and Education

TL;DR

Virtual mental health care increases access, especially for younger people, Hispanics, and those with lower education.

Contribution

This study identifies demographic groups that benefit most from virtual mental health care in reducing inequities.

Findings

Virtual care significantly increases mental health counseling or therapy use among individuals with depression.

Hispanic females, young adults, and those with lower education show the highest increase in therapy use via virtual care.

Virtual care may help reduce mental health access disparities for historically underserved groups.

Abstract

To examine an association between virtual care and mental health care use and whether there is any different pattern in the association across key demographic characteristics, specifically age, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment.

A cross-sectional, observation study was conducted among the general population in the United States. This population-based study used data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey. Main effect and interaction models using binary logistic regression were performed.

Of a total of 708 males and 1,238 females with symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), virtual care was associated with an increase in mental counseling or therapy use (males: adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.82–4.16, p ≤ 0.001; females: aOR: 3.38, 95% CI: 2.42–4.73, p ≤ 0.001). Females from a Hispanic background (aOR: 7.17, 95% CI: 2.97–17.33, p ≤ 0.001), aged 18–29 (aOR: 7.18, 95% CI: 3.51–14.70, p ≤ 0.001), and with less than high school graduation (aOR: 5.55, 95% CI: 1.97–15.62, p = 0.001) or college degrees (aOR: 5.52, 95% CI: 2.91–10.47, p ≤ 0.001) had notable increases in mental counseling or therapy use with virtual care.

Virtual care is associated with a significant increase in accessing mental health care. Individuals who historically experience challenges related to in-person settings, including those with low educational attainment and Hispanics, may significantly benefit from virtual options.