How a video call might be a solution to mental health problems in children: A story following TCHATT

by Mira Mathur

Image sourced from Dell Med TCHATT Youtube

As we head back to school in less than a week, there’s no doubt that everyone is feeling the pressure of the new year. I speak for most teens when I say that school is associated with a constant numbing cycle of work, no sleep, and no time. With parents who are also recovering from the pandemic, youth mental health has been pushed aside and ignored for too long. Following COVID-19, children and adolescents are experiencing record-breaking levels of mental illness including increased levels of depression, anxiety, ADHD, and behavioral problems. However, Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine, or TCHATT, serves as a solution by providing treatment for mental illness in schools.

For the last two weeks I’ve had the opportunity to intern with Global Voice Productions/KUT at UT Austin and through this experience have interviewed several doctors at Dell Medical School. One person, in particular, the Associate Director of the Telemedicine Program, Dr. Nithya Mani, M.D. explains how Dell Med works with school counselors, to identify kids with mental health concerns and get them scheduled for a video appointments with professional psychiatrists and psychologists. After being diagnosed through a mental health assessment, children in the participating school district can receive five to six free telemedicine sessions with professional providers. After the free sessions are over, TCHATT follows up with students and parents to aid in follow-up care, if needed.

Aside from providing psychiatric care, TCHATT’s innovative design allows for students and parents to access their providers from anywhere. With telemedicine, you don’t have to lose an arm and a leg to get to your appointment. The struggle to access transportation and manage a busy schedule is significantly reduced for both patients and health care providers. Dr. Mani also explains that they are working with schools to ensure that each family has access to the internet, saying “they’re able to go to school where we know they’ll have a reliable internet connection”. Currently, 374 school districts, 3,243 campuses, and 2,234,204 students in the state of Texas have access to TCHATT. A student’s concerning behavior is reported by teachers and counselors who then contact a TCHATT liaison to begin the process. After the TCHATT liaison is contacted, consent forms must be signed by parents and basic information will be collected from the family. The medical professionals coordinate with the family to schedule meetings catered to the child’s and parent’s needs. A typical day for Dr. Mani consists of seeing four to five patients in the morning and several in the afternoon all from the convenience of her clinic. Some days she goes straight from her TCHATT patients to her outpatient clinic which she says, “Telehealth really helps with”. Because telemedicine requires no travel time, Dr. Mani can see more patients in a day, “maximize on that time, and reach a lot of people”.

The TCHATT program is extremely beneficial to schools, children, and health care providers because it allows the most amount of patients to be treated with the least amount of struggle and cost. Gaining access to professional help has never been as easy as it is now with modern technology and innovative design. Although TCHATT is a recent project, started in 2019, the effects could tremendously change the world of mental health among the youth and potentially treat cases that would’ve previously gone unnoticed. As a teenager who understands the struggle of mental health, it’s a relief to see that medical professionals are making an effort to help the generation that frames our future. Through the struggle of the pandemic comes a fresh global perspective of the importance of mental health that can no longer be ignored. The incorporation of TCHATT in schools is a great start to healing the stigma surrounding mental health and supporting youth.

Image sourced from Dell Med TCHATT Youtube

Sources:

• Tcmhcc.utsystem.edu. 2022. Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) – TCMHCC. [online] Available at: <https://tcmhcc.utsystem.edu/tchatt/> [Accessed 12 August 2022].

• Hopkinsmedicine.org. 2022. Benefits of Telemedicine. [online] Available at: <https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/benefits-of-telemedicine#:~:text=Telemedicine%2C%20which%20enables%20video%20or,patients%20by%20computer%20and%20smartphone.> [Accessed 12 August 2022].

• Dell Medical School. 2022. Child Psychiatry Access Network &amp; Texas Child Health Access Through… | Dell Medical School. [online] Available at: <https://dellmed.utexas.edu/units/department-of-psychiatry/cpan-tchatt> [Accessed 12 August 2022].

Images From:

• "TCHATT Overview PUBLIC FACING". 2022. Youtube.Com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF4_v-ory3Y.