Impact of COVID-19 and telehealth on mental health in Bangladesh: a propensity score matching approach

Abstract

COVID-19 have deteriorated mental health conditions in Bangladesh. The study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on mental health conditions through the propensity score matching method and establish the relationship between telehealth usage on mental health improvement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearest neighbor matching approach has been used to match treatment unit to nearest comparison unit and achieved balance between treatment and control groups on observable traits. A cross-sectional study on 89 participants was conducted from April to June 2020. ATE (average treatment effect) & ATET (average treatment effect of treated) techniques were used. Logistic regression was used to examine the causal relationship between telehealth usage on mental health improvement. The coefficient of ATE on the population was − 0.026, stating that on average, participants with no past physical health problems had fewer mental health issues than the participants with a past physical health problem. The coefficient on ATET was − 0.034. The association between telehealth usage on mental health improvement was highly significant as p value = 0.00 < 0.05 with OR of 70 at 95% CI. There was strong evidence of positive mental health outcomes through telehealth usage during the pandemic. Experts should develop sustainable adaptations of mental healthcare delivery systems in this field to mitigate the disparities in healthcare provision.