PTSD is the most prevalent mental health challenge faced by our Nation's Veterans. We want to encourage people to seek effective PTSD treatment and to know they are not alone. To do this we created AboutFace: an online video gallery of Veterans talking about living with PTSD and how treatment turned their lives around.
PTSD and Telemental Health: Many individuals in need of specialized Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) services live in geographically remote regions, such as on tribal reservations or in rural areas. Mental health care in these remote areas is generally only available on a limited basis - especially mental health care for PTSD. Sometimes an individual will travel a great distance to a larger city, or the clinicians based in the larger medical centers will travel a great distance to visit rural communities. As a result, providing PTSD care to these individuals can impose a tremendous financial, travel, or personnel burden. Telemental health technology is increasingly easing these burdens by making PTSD clinical and educational services available in remote areas.
Telemedicine, also known as telehealth, uses electronic communications and information technology to provide and support healthcare when distance separates patients from the clinician. Telemedicine uses various communication methods to connect clinicians and patients in lieu of their meeting in person.
The term "telemental health services" typically refers to behavioral health services that are provided using communication technology. These services include clinical assessment, individual and group psychotherapy, psycho-educational interventions, cognitive testing, and general psychiatry. The term telemental health describes the overall situation in which a clinician uses various technologies to deliver mental health care to a patient who is miles away.
The major benefit of telemental health is that it eliminates travel that may be disruptive or costly. In addition, telemental health is a useful tool in situations, such as in correctional and forensic settings, where it is difficult to transport the patient to a clinician. Telemental health also allows mental health providers to consult with or provide supervision to one another.
Link: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treatment/overview/ptsd-telemental.asp