The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia published A Critical Assessment of Virtual Mental Health Care for Rural Nova Scotians on August 1. The assessment done by Robin Lauzon, a recent graduate from Acadia University, found that rural Nova Scotians have faced greater isolation since the start of the pandemic. Virtual mental healthcare has exacerbated feelings of isolation due to less face-to-face interactions with physicians.

Many of the physicians interviewed found that patients with an aversion to virtual mental healthcare weren't able to get the care they needed.

“Virtual care is kind of a broad umbrella term,” Lauzon says.

Virtual mental health care can be anything from one-to-one therapy, online apps that offer mental health tools that the government of Nova Scotia has introduced and other resources.

“There are some major benefits in terms of having the opportunity to reach out and receive care from clinicians who may not live in your area,” Lauzon says. “Being able to reach out to specialists online, not having to drive back and forth to appointments.”

Virtual care can also provide a more comfortable setting such as an increased anonymity, Lauzon says. This can be a benefit for those who would not have reached out to receive mental health care otherwise.

But virtual isn’t for everyone. The study done by Lauzon shows that 43 per cent of Nova Scotians live in rural areas compared to the national average of 18 per cent. A large part of this population is elderly and low-income.

“Internet accessibility has been a major issue. If you can't get on the internet, if you're not comfortable using the internet, virtual care is really not a solution that is going to work for you,” Lauzon says.

This can lead to further isolation as well as people who give up on care altogether.

“Some people said that they had patients who maybe just didn't want to keep continuing with care if it was a virtual format. So there were some people that stopped treatment because they had to switch,” Lauzon says.

The assessment did mention recommendations for the government of Nova Scotia in order to address the rural care deficits.

Some of these recommendations such as a hybrid model approach and creating a space for policy feedback.

“But I think now's the time for some reflection and to collaborate with rural people and rural practitioners to know, in context, ‘how does this work?’” Lauzon says.

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