Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted mental health care, especially for individuals with pre-existing psychiatric conditions. In addition to raising concerns about neuroinvasion and inflammation due to the virus’s potential to cross the blood-brain barrier, the pandemic disrupted mental health service delivery. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of telepsychiatry during the pandemic and to highlight the ongoing difficulties in managing substance use disorders (SUD) in the United States.
METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was used, combining a literature review on pandemic-related mental health outcomes with an analysis of U.S. health databases and emergency room records. Pre-pandemic and pandemic-era data were compared to assess shifts in telepsychiatry use, in-person mental health services, emergency department visits, and opioid-related incidents. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify trends in service utilization.
RESULTS: Telepsychiatry showed a 74.2% success rate, which was 6.68 times higher than in-person visits during the pandemic, demonstrating its efficacy—particularly for anxiety disorders. While telehealth usage rose significantly, in-person mental health services declined by 57%, and emergency room visits decreased by 52%. In contrast, opioid-related challenges intensified. Emergency visits for opioid use disorder (OUD) surpassed 2019 levels starting May 2020. Notably, opioid overdose deaths increased by 34%, reaching 96,779 within 12 months—a historical peak.
CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic catalyzed a shift toward telepsychiatry, proving it to be an effective alternative for delivering mental health care. However, the same period exposed serious challenges in SUD treatment, as opioid-related mortality and emergency incidents surged. These findings emphasize the need for integrated, adaptive healthcare strategies to address both technological advances and persistent gaps in addiction services.