An Evaluation Of A Telehealth Intervention For A Chronic Care Group In Accra, Ghana

Abstract

The use of technology to deliver psychological interventions has garnered considerable attention. This is especially so during the global COVID-19 pandemic which has compelled experts to explore different ways to provide mental health and psychosocial support. The Chronic Care Group developed a telehealth intervention as part of efforts to improve knowledge on COVID-19 and provide psychosocial support and care to selected vulnerable communities in Accra, Ghana for coping with the pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Chronic Care Group telehealth intervention program from the perspectives of trainees (n=8) and service recipients (n=17). Two studies were conducted using a qualitative research design. Both studies employed a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of both service users and telehealth trainees. The results were analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis of data of the telehealth Service Recipients revealed five themes: (1) Life before and during COVID-19; (2) Knowledge about COVID-19; (3) Psychosocial support; (4) Behavior change; and (5) Acceptability of the intervention. Results from the Telehealth Trainees highlighted three themes including: (1) Impact of COVID-19 on psychology training; 2) Competence of trainees; and 3) Challenges with the intervention. From the findings of these studies, the shift to telehealth offers new ways of thinking about and providing psychosocial support or addressing mental health needs as well as psychology training. This, together with the possibility of enhanced accessibility, suggests that telehealth has potential as a new and beneficial realm of practice within mental health services in settings in Accra and Ghana as a whole.