Mental Health Service Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted profound shifts in the ways individuals access and engage with mental health services worldwide. Early in the crisis, lockdown measures and fear of contagion led to marked reductions in face-to-face consultations, hospital admissions and referrals across primary, secondary and emergency settings. Simultaneously, self-reported psychological distress surged, exposing a widening treatment gap as symptom burden climbed while utilisation declined. Health systems responded by scaling remote and hybrid care models, integrating telemedicine into routine practice and expanding digital platforms for assessment and therapy. These adaptations varied by region and resource availability, with high-income countries more rapidly converting to virtual care and low- and middle-income settings encountering infrastructure and equity challenges. Workforce capacity proved uneven, as some providers experienced reduced caseloads due to furloughs or redeployment, while others confronted heightened demand for crisis intervention. Socioeconomic and demographic disparities further shaped access, with older adults and marginalised groups facing barriers to remote engagement and continuity of care. Over the medium term, many services witnessed a rebound in demand, often exceeding pre-pandemic levels for urgent referrals and crisis teams. Policymakers and practitioners are now evaluating which innovations to sustain—ranging from teleconsultation protocols to integrated digital monitoring—while addressing persisting gaps in data, workforce planning and equitable access. The pandemic has underscored the imperative for resilient, adaptable mental health systems capable of maintaining service utilisation amid future public health emergencies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Mental Health Service Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mental health service utilization during the covid-19 pandemic across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Telemedicine: Remote delivery of healthcare services using telecommunications technology.

Interrupted time-series analysis: A statistical method assessing changes in trends of an outcome before and after an intervention or event.

Primary care presentation: An initial visit or consultation with a general healthcare practitioner for assessment and treatment of health concerns.

Psychological distress: A state of emotional suffering characterised by symptoms such as anxiety, depression or stress.

References

1. Changes to healthcare utilisation and symptoms for common mental health problems over the first 21 months of the COVID-19 pandemic: parallel analyses of electronic health records and survey data in England. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2023).
2. In-Person and Teleconsultation Services at a National Hospital in Peru: Time Series Analysis of General and Psychiatric Care Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. JMIR Mental Health (2024).
3. The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and substance use health (MHSUH) workforce in Canada: a mixed methods study. Human Resources for Health (2023).