Digital psychiatry in low- and middle-income countries post-COVID-19: Opportunities, challenges, and solutions

Health systems are adapting to the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing has forced clinicians to provide their services through online platforms in high income countries. Similar trends have been noticed in Low and middle-income countries (LAMIC). Digital health can he...

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Published inIndian journal of psychiatry Vol. 62; no. 9; pp. 380 - 382
Main Authors Naeem, Farooq, Husain, M, Javed, Afzal
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Mysore Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.09.2020
Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd
Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd
Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
Subjects
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Evidence-based medicine
Mental health
Pandemics
Review
COVID
digital
low and middle income countries
global south
mental health
Corona
psychiatry
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Summary:Health systems are adapting to the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing has forced clinicians to provide their services through online platforms in high income countries. Similar trends have been noticed in Low and middle-income countries (LAMIC). Digital health can help LAMIC address traditional barriers to care by overcoming issues related to stigma, discrimination, staffing, and physical and geographical resource constraints. Mobile phone subscriptions exceed 80% of the population in many LAMICs. Mobile platforms represent a viable resource in overcoming the significant mental health gap in LAMIC. This paper discusses the enormous potential that digital health has to transform healthcare delivery in LAMICs, as well as numerous challenges to implementation. We also discuss the need to develop national digital health strategies and suggest solutions to some of the barriers.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
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ISSN:0019-5545
1998-3794
DOI:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_843_20