Telemental Health Services as a Targeted Intervention for Individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Deaf and hard of hearing individuals living with chronic mental illness are a population that is underserved. Like their hearing counterparts with mental illness, individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing often face medical and treatment disparities.

The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of telemental health (TMH) services, or services provided via videoconferencing technology, as a targeted intervention that may provide relief to deaf and hard of hearing individuals with mental health problems.

This paper addresses several areas that are important when considering service provisions for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, including:

• a working definition of TMH
• the clinical efficacy of TMH
• the challenges and advantages of using TMH
• considerations for establishing a TMH service for deaf and hard of hearing individuals