Acceptability of Tele-mental Health Services Among Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Rowan M Abuyadek; Esraa Abdellatif Hammouda; Ehab Elrewany; Dina Hussein Elmalawany; Rasha Ashmawy; Sally Zeina; Assem Gebreal; Ramy Mohamed Ghazy

doi:10.1186/s12889-024-18436-7

Acceptability of Tele-mental Health Services Among Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BMC Public Health. 2024 Apr 24;24(1):1143. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18436-7.

Authors

Rowan M Abuyadek¹, Esraa Abdellatif Hammouda², Ehab Elrewany³, Dina Hussein Elmalawany⁴, Rasha Ashmawy^{5

6}, Sally Zeina⁵, Assem Gebreal⁷, Ramy Mohamed Ghazy^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Health Administration and Behavioral Sciences Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
² Clinical Research Department, El-Raml Pediatric Hospital, Ministry of Health and Population, Alexandria, Egypt.
³ Tropical Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. ehabelrewany@alexu.edu.eg.
⁴ Middle District of Health, Ministry of Health and Population, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁵ Department of Clinical Research, Maamora Chest Hospital, MoHP, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁶ Clinical Research Administration, Directorate of Health Affairs, MoHP, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁷ Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁸ Tropical Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁹ Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Mental disorders are currently a global public health concern, particularly after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Mental health services gradually transitioned to teleservices, employing various methods like texting and videoconferencing. This meta-analysis aimed mainly to quantify the acceptability of tele-mental health services among both beneficiaries and providers. Secondary objectives included quantifying the usability of and satisfaction with these services.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the following databases PubMed Central, SAGE, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed Medline, and EBSCO according to Preferred Reporting Items of the Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines until December 2022.

Results: Out of 3366 search results, 39 studies fully met the inclusion criteria. The pooled acceptability of tele-mental health services among beneficiaries was [71.0% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 63.0 - 78.5%, I² = 98%]. Using meta-regression, four key factors contributed to this heterogeneity (R² = 99.75%), namely, year of publication, type of mental disorder, participant category, and the quality of included studies. While acceptability among providers was [66.0% (95%CI, 52.0 - 78.0%), I² = 95%]. The pooled usability of tele-mental health services among participants was [66.0% (95%CI, 50.0 - 80.0%), I² = 83%]. Subgroup analysis revealed statistically significant results (p = 0.003), indicating that usability was higher among beneficiaries compared to providers.

Conclusions: The study highlighted a high acceptability of tele-mental health services. These findings suggest a promising outlook for the integration and adoption of tele-mental health services and emphasize the importance of considering user perspectives and addressing provider-specific challenges to enhance overall service delivery and effectiveness.

Keywords: Acceptability; Health service users; Internet based; Mental health; Tele-mental health; Telehealth; Telemedicine.

Publication types

Systematic Review
Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Humans
Mental Disorders / therapy
Mental Health Services*
Patient Acceptance of Health Care* / psychology
Patient Acceptance of Health Care* / statistics & numerical data
Patient Satisfaction / statistics & numerical data
SARS-CoV-2
Telemedicine*