Alcohol and (illicit) substance abuse are among the most common psychiatric disorders within the general population and their impact can not be underestimated. Reputedly for these disorders, there is a large treatment gap and treatment delay, i.e. large numbers of afflicted individuals never receive appropriate treatment and if they do so often many years after the onset of the disorder. The Covid19 pandemic has only aggravated these gaps. In many countries, due to the Covid 19 pandemic and its associated restriction measures telepsychiatric tools have become increasingly implemented (and funded) as regular parts in the possibilities in delivering interventions. With respect to substance abuse treatment, a vast body of research already showed promises both in the field of telepsychiatry as broader the use of digitalization (e.g. the use of virtual reality designed treatment interventions, digital monitoring). In the current presentation, an overview will be presented of both telemental health interventions and digital tools/interventions in the field of substance abuse treatment.

No significant relationships.

Tele-psychiatry is an increasingly acceptable and feasible platform to deliver mental health care with the potential to increase access to care in low-resource settings. We aim to examine the acceptability and preliminary impact of the delivery of assisted tele-psychiatry services in primary healthcare settings in Goa, India.

Before-after uncontrolled treatment cohort study. In total, 161 adults with either a mental or alcohol use disorder were provided tele-consultation by psychiatrists through a customised video conferencing platform, along with medication or counselling (via trained lay counsellors) or both as needed. Data on socio-demographics, clinical outcomes and process indicators were collected at baseline and 3 months post-baseline. Paired t tests were used to assess clinical outcomes pre- and post-treatment using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and World Health Organisation Disability Adjustment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0, and logistic regression was used to find associations between changes in these scores and various factors.

The most common diagnosis was depression (35%). Post-treatment, there was a significant reduction in both GHQ-12 and WHODAS 2.0 scores. Participants showed high satisfaction with the tele-psychiatry services and technology platform. Improvement in GHQ-12 score was associated with being employed [OR 8.74 (1.92–39.75, p = 0.005)] and being a homemaker [OR 6.42 (CI 1.61–25.57, p = 0.008)].

Treatment of mental disorders through a tele-psychiatry platform appears to be highly acceptable and is associated with improved clinical outcomes. Considering its potential for scalability, a model of assisted tele-psychiatry integrated into primary care can be an important strategy to increase access to mental healthcare in low-resource settings.