A Retrospective Evaluation of TeleMental Healthcare Services for Remote Military Populations

The objective of this study was to compare specific treatment & outcome variables between mental health care via videoconferencing to care provided in person. The study was a retrospective record review of service members & their adult civilian family members seen at 2 remotely located military bases. Passive or intermittent suicide ideation was noted in 15 of the 159 encounters in the face-to-face group & in 29 of 222 telemental health encounters. The Global Assessment of Functioning was unexpectedly and significantly more improved for the telemental health group than the face-to-face care group. A higher rate of full compliance with treatment was also observed in the telemental health group. (15 refs.)