Online tools make mental health care accessible

Virtual therapy, whether via text, phone calls, videoconferencing, or email, has been around for decades, but really took off after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a 2021 trends report from the American Psychological Association (APA), Jeanine Turner, a telehealth expert and professor at Georgetown University, says without an event like the pandemic, the health care industry never would have fully embraced telehealth.

• READ MORE: Mental health resources for farmers and ranchers

When COVID-19 restrictions meant people weren't able to go to in-person mental health visits, however, the industry had no choice but to adapt. "Now it's taken off and there will be no going back," she says.

An APA survey found that 64% of its members had no telehealth cases in May 2020, but once the pandemic took hold, 85% of members said they were seeing more than three-fourths of their caseload through teletherapy. Learn more at apa.org.

Barriers to rural care

According to an American Farm Bureau survey that examined the pandemic's effects on mental health in rural America, half of rural adults think people in their community attach at least a fair amount of stigma to mental health, and 44% to seeking treatment or help for mental health. Nearly 90% of farmers said it's important to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the agriculture community.

• READ MORE: Farm youth mental health often overlooked

When asked about barriers to seeking help for a mental health condition, 73% cited cost, 63% availability, 63% accessibility, 60% stigma, and 59% embarrassment.

Online treatment can help reduce or eliminate most, if not all, of those barriers, and its rise in availability means therapy is now a realistic option for rural residents.

Finding care

A quick online search for online therapists in your state can get you on the path to finding a match.

Verywell Mind, which is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family along with Agriculture.com, offers ratings and reviews for websites and apps that help users find therapists. It has awarded "Best Online Therapy Programs of 2023." Click here to read full reviews and link to individual services. Verywell Mind's top pics are:

• Best overall: Talkspace costs $276 to $516 per month and accepts insurance. It offers couples therapy, individual therapy, medication management, psychiatry, and teen counseling.
• Best for availability: BetterHelp has a large network of mental health professionals, which means therapy is often available within moments of signing up. Individual therapy plans range start at $240 per month, and insurance is not accepted.
• Best for couples: ReGain allows couples to work with a therapist specializing in relationship therapy both together and individually. Membership starts at $240 per month. Insurance is not accepted.
• Best for psychiatry: Talkiatry partners with. more than 60 insurance companies to bring costs down. It offers individual therapy, medication management, and psychiatry, working with both adults and children.
• Best for anxiety and depression: Brightside Health specializes in depression and anxiety, following a treatment plan that includes therapy, medication, and self-care. Insurance is accepted and membership starts at $95 per month.
• Most affordable: E-Therapy Cafe offers couples and individual therapy for $55 per session, with membership options ranging from $196-$300 per month. Insurance is not accepted.
• Best for flexibility: Thriveworks accepts insurance and has a $39 monthly membership plus a session fee that varies by provider. It offers couples, family, group, and individual therapy, plus medication management, psychiatry, and teen counseling, online or in person in most states.
• Best for accessibility: LiveHealth Online costs $80 to $95 per therapy session. Psychiatry costs $175 for the initial session and $75 for follow-up sessions. Insurance is accepted. Signing up is free and patients pay per session. Children's, couples, family, and individual therapy are offered, plus medication management, psychiatry, and teen counseling.
• Best with insurance: Teladoc Health offers psychiatry services that may cost nothing when covered by insurance. It also accepts some Medicare and Medicaid plans, unlike most other services. Medication management is offered in addition to psychiatry.
• Best for family therapy: Little Otter costs $90 for a 30-minute welcome session, then $200 per 45-minute session, but insurance is accepted. It offers coaching, therapy, and medication management for children up to age 14 and their families.
• Best directory: GoodTherapy has the most extensive selection of licensed mental health providers with a wide variety of certifications. It offers in-person and hybrid models.

Factors to remember

Therapists must be licensed in the state where the patient lives, whether the sessions are online or in-person. Some therapists are licensed in multiple states, and some states offer reciprocity with others. If your insurance won't help pay for virtual therapy, do an online search for services in your state.

• READ MORE: Reach out to those struggling with mental health

There are some mental health issues and medications that require in-person visits. Still, online sessions can be a good starting point for someone who has never sought therapy.

Give it a try

According to the APA, studies have shown telepsychology is as effective in most cases as in-person sessions.

Online therapy makes it possible for the rural population to access mental health care. You can talk with a therapist from the comfort and privacy of your home at any time.

Without having to think about getting to an in-person session, you can focus on finding the program and therapist that will work best for you.