A retrospective analysis of a child and adolescent eMental Health program.
OBJECTIVE
New models of psychiatric intervention are needed to improve the accessibility of mental health care in the primary care setting, particularly in rural areas of the United States and especially for children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the diagnostic characteristics and outcomes for children referred for eMental Health consultations at UC Davis (videoconferencing, telephone, and secure e-mail) from 10 primary care clinics in rural northern California.


METHODS
: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the diagnostic and clinical outcomes of 139 referred children who received a full psychiatric diagnostic evaluation via videoconferencing. Within the group, a convenience sample of 58 initial and 41 three-month follow-up Child Behavior Checklists (CBCLs) was collected.


RESULTS
Comprehensive eMental Health programs appear to be effective for psychiatric diagnosis and assessment of children. Attention deficit (36.2%) and mood (28.1%) disorders were the most common diagnostic groupings overall. Most children were seen only once, but a statistically significant improvement between initial evaluation and 3-month follow-up in the convenience sample was seen in the Affect and Oppositional domains of the CBCL for girls and boys, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Versatile eMental Health programs, incorporating standardized checklists, may assist in diagnosis and treatment of rural children.
Yellowlees
Peter M
PM
Drs. Yellowlees, Hilty, and Bourgeois and Ms. Marks are with the University of California, Davis; Dr. Neufeld is with the Indiana Telehealth Advisory Consortium. Electronic address: pmyellowlees@ucdavis.edu.
Hilty
Donald M
DM
Drs. Yellowlees, Hilty, and Bourgeois and Ms. Marks are with the University of California, Davis; Dr. Neufeld is with the Indiana Telehealth Advisory Consortium.
Marks
Shayna L
SL
Drs. Yellowlees, Hilty, and Bourgeois and Ms. Marks are with the University of California, Davis; Dr. Neufeld is with the Indiana Telehealth Advisory Consortium.
Neufeld
Jonathan
J
Drs. Yellowlees, Hilty, and Bourgeois and Ms. Marks are with the University of California, Davis; Dr. Neufeld is with the Indiana Telehealth Advisory Consortium.
Bourgeois
James A
JA
Drs. Yellowlees, Hilty, and Bourgeois and Ms. Marks are with the University of California, Davis; Dr. Neufeld is with the Indiana Telehealth Advisory Consortium.
D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D019114:Remote Consultation; D012424:Rural Population; D012984:Software