Just ran across this article on the growth of mental health in online spaces, and thought of all the gaps in mental health care in Black populations, and how that intersects with our increased use of the Internet and mobile communications, especially in this sense…
A major advantage of delivering mental health care online or via a smartphone app, Aboujaoude and his coauthors write, is that it gives many more people access to care. People who live in areas without many mental health care providers, whose disorder prevents them from leaving the house, or who are deterred from seeking treatment by the stigma attached to mental illness treatment facilities may find it easier to get care through an app or online. Also, the care itself may be more cost-efficient and affordable since it doesn’t require the expense of keeping an office.
Wondering about everybody’s thoughts on this…would it be possible to ethically and responsibly provide some sort of care this way?
Could funding come from grants, individuals, or government reimbursement?
Are there any Black tech development companies who would be willing to partner in creating a solution around this work?
Megan.
I can see the government doing this; I don’t know how ethical it is (but that’s never stopped the government before).
I think eventually they’ll get around to it tbh…but not for a good while.