The Impact of COVID-19 and Policy Changes on Telehealth Consultations for Mental Health Treatment in Australia: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Background Mental health care is a major component of the services offered in Australia. Rapid adaptations in healthcare delivery occurred worldwide, with telehealth emerging as a pivotal solution due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian health care environment was also transformed by policy changes in March 2020 which expanded telehealth services, significantly impacting mental health care. Objectives This study examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent telehealth policy changes on telehealth consultations for mental health treatment in Australia. by general practitioners (GPs) in Australia. Methods An Interrupted Time Series (ITS) analysis was employed using data from March 2017 to February 2023. The study analysed the impact of the pandemic and telehealth policies across three periods: immediate impact (March 2020 - February 2021), recovery (March 2021 - February 2022), and post-pandemic (March 2022 - February 2023), focusing on in-person, phone, and video consultations. Results The introduction of telehealth services mitigated the decline in in-person consultations caused by the pandemic. While in-person consultations showed a significant immediate reduction, telehealth consultations increased, maintaining overall mental health service levels. However, the long-term trend in total GP consultations significantly changed post-intervention (2022 March to 2023 February). Conclusions Telehealth effectively ensured continued access to mental health services during the pandemic. Despite the immediate benefits, telehealth did not significantly alter long-term consultation patterns. Further integration of telehealth into routine care requires addressing technological, infrastructural, and policy barriers to sustain its usage beyond the pandemic.