Different from the SARS epidemic in 2003, the prevalence of internet service and smartphone use allow the mental health professionals and health authorities to provide online psychological intervention services during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Several types of online mental health services have been implemented:
- online survey
- mental health education
- online counseling services
- self-help intervention systems
- suicide prevention


Online mental health services in China during the COVID-19 outbreak 


- Most research observed shows little to no decrease of efficiency of therapy conducted remotely (video conference or phone call) from when it was conducted in-person
- Administrative issues for implementation include: licensure requirements, malpractice insurance, status of insurance coverage, adherence to confidentiality and security regulations, and establishments of protocols
- US government agencies issued a waiver suspending requirement. to comply with HIPPA, allowing a wider range of options for telemedicine.

Columbia University

- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Counselling telephone helplines
- Direct queries about COVID-19 related stressors (infected loved ones, loss of loved ones, exposures to infection), secondary adversities (economic loss, change in employment status), psychosocial effects (anxiety, psychosomatic preoccupations, insomnia, depression, substance use, domestic violence), and indicators of vulnerability (preexisting physical and/or psychological condition
- Frontline health-care worker psychological interventions (untrained)
- Mentalization-based therapy (MBT)
- Online psychological counselling

Psychological Interventions for people affected by COVID-19

Wright, J. H., & Caudill, R. (2020). Remote treatment delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 89(3), 1.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7179517/

Remote Treatment Delivery in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Online psychological counselling

Prolonged school closure and home confinement during a disease outbreak might have negative effects on children’s physical and mental health. 
- physical health: when lacking normal school schedule, the children are physically less active, have much longer screen time, irregular sleep patterns, and less balanced diets
- mental health(easily neglected): the young are most affected, without outdoor activities and interaction with peers, prolonged stress, fears of infection, frustration and boredom...


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