Telemedicine in Mental Health Care: An Effectiveness Study Among Chronic Condition Patients in South African Urban Centers

Telemedicine has shown promise in enhancing access to mental health care, particularly for patients with chronic conditions who may face geographical barriers. We conducted a mixed-methods study involving surveys, interviews, and observational assessments across three urban centers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Among 120 participants evaluated, there was a significant reduction in perceived barriers (p < 0.05) when compared to baseline levels. Telemedicine demonstrated effectiveness in improving access and reducing barriers for mental health care among chronic condition patients in South African urban centers. Further research should explore the scalability of telemedicine services and their impact on patient outcomes over time. telemedicine, mental health care, chronic conditions, South Africa, urban centers Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.