"I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, uncertainties and management inconsistencies have been implicated in men's rising distress levels, which in turn have somewhat normed the uptake of telemental healthcare services (i.e., phone and/or video-conference-based therapy). Given past evidence of poor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279127 |
| _version_ | 1811177212364193792 |
|---|---|
| author | Zac E Seidler Michael J Wilson John L Oliffe David Kealy John S Ogrodniczuk Andreas Walther Simon M Rice |
| author_facet | Zac E Seidler Michael J Wilson John L Oliffe David Kealy John S Ogrodniczuk Andreas Walther Simon M Rice |
| author_sort | Zac E Seidler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, uncertainties and management inconsistencies have been implicated in men's rising distress levels, which in turn have somewhat normed the uptake of telemental healthcare services (i.e., phone and/or video-conference-based therapy). Given past evidence of poor engagement with telemental health among men, this mixed-methods study examined Australian men's use of, and experiences with telemental health services relative to face-to-face care during the pandemic. A community sample of Australian-based men (N = 387; age M = 47.5 years, SD = 15.0 years) were recruited via Facebook advertising, and completed an online survey comprising quantitative items and open-response qualitative questions with the aim of better understanding men's experiences with telemental healthcare services. In total, 62.3% (n = 241) of participants reported experience with telemental health, and regression analyses revealed those who engaged with telemental health were on average younger, more likely to be gay and university educated. Men who had used telemental health were, on average, more satisfied with their therapy experience than those who had face-to-face therapy. Among those who had telemental healthcare, marginally lower satisfaction was observed among regional/rural based relative to urban men, and those who had to wait longer than 2 months to commence therapy. Qualitative findings highlighted positive aspects of telemental healthcare including comfort with accessing therapy from familiar home environments and the convenience and accessibility of telemental health alongside competing commitments and COVID-19 restrictions. Conversely, drawbacks included technical limitations such as crosstalk impeding therapeutic progress, disconnects and audio-visual lag-times and the 'impersonal' nature of telemental healthcare services. Findings broadly signal COVID-19 induced shifts norming of the use of virtual therapy services, with clear scope for improvement in the delivery of therapeutic practice using digital modalities, especially among help-seeking men. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:57:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5959a16d7eaa46caae702c6f0db9d5eb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:57:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-5959a16d7eaa46caae702c6f0db9d5eb2023-01-14T05:31:31ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011712e027912710.1371/journal.pone.0279127"I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19.Zac E SeidlerMichael J WilsonJohn L OliffeDavid KealyJohn S OgrodniczukAndreas WaltherSimon M RiceThe COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, uncertainties and management inconsistencies have been implicated in men's rising distress levels, which in turn have somewhat normed the uptake of telemental healthcare services (i.e., phone and/or video-conference-based therapy). Given past evidence of poor engagement with telemental health among men, this mixed-methods study examined Australian men's use of, and experiences with telemental health services relative to face-to-face care during the pandemic. A community sample of Australian-based men (N = 387; age M = 47.5 years, SD = 15.0 years) were recruited via Facebook advertising, and completed an online survey comprising quantitative items and open-response qualitative questions with the aim of better understanding men's experiences with telemental healthcare services. In total, 62.3% (n = 241) of participants reported experience with telemental health, and regression analyses revealed those who engaged with telemental health were on average younger, more likely to be gay and university educated. Men who had used telemental health were, on average, more satisfied with their therapy experience than those who had face-to-face therapy. Among those who had telemental healthcare, marginally lower satisfaction was observed among regional/rural based relative to urban men, and those who had to wait longer than 2 months to commence therapy. Qualitative findings highlighted positive aspects of telemental healthcare including comfort with accessing therapy from familiar home environments and the convenience and accessibility of telemental health alongside competing commitments and COVID-19 restrictions. Conversely, drawbacks included technical limitations such as crosstalk impeding therapeutic progress, disconnects and audio-visual lag-times and the 'impersonal' nature of telemental healthcare services. Findings broadly signal COVID-19 induced shifts norming of the use of virtual therapy services, with clear scope for improvement in the delivery of therapeutic practice using digital modalities, especially among help-seeking men.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279127 |
| spellingShingle | Zac E Seidler Michael J Wilson John L Oliffe David Kealy John S Ogrodniczuk Andreas Walther Simon M Rice "I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19. PLoS ONE |
| title | "I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19. |
| title_full | "I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19. |
| title_fullStr | "I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19. |
| title_full_unstemmed | "I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19. |
| title_short | "I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19. |
| title_sort | i could hang up if the practitioner was a prat australian men s feedback on telemental healthcare during covid 19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279127 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zaceseidler icouldhangupifthepractitionerwasaprataustralianmensfeedbackontelementalhealthcareduringcovid19 AT michaeljwilson icouldhangupifthepractitionerwasaprataustralianmensfeedbackontelementalhealthcareduringcovid19 AT johnloliffe icouldhangupifthepractitionerwasaprataustralianmensfeedbackontelementalhealthcareduringcovid19 AT davidkealy icouldhangupifthepractitionerwasaprataustralianmensfeedbackontelementalhealthcareduringcovid19 AT johnsogrodniczuk icouldhangupifthepractitionerwasaprataustralianmensfeedbackontelementalhealthcareduringcovid19 AT andreaswalther icouldhangupifthepractitionerwasaprataustralianmensfeedbackontelementalhealthcareduringcovid19 AT simonmrice icouldhangupifthepractitionerwasaprataustralianmensfeedbackontelementalhealthcareduringcovid19 |