How the COVID-19 pandemic is changing mental health disease management: The growing need of telecounseling in Italy

Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) is a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which is caused by coronavirus-2 (CoV-2). The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. Standard public health measures, such as "stay-at-home" orders, quarantine, social distancing, and community containment, are being used to manage the pandemic, and these measures are changing social relationships, including those between doctors and patients. The mental health effects of this confinement can include feelings of isolation and stress-related fear of contamination and death, and psychiatric and/ or psychotherapeutic help using telehealth could be beneficial. In Italy, psychological telecounseling has been an effective method of supporting the physical and psychosocial needs of all patients, regardless of their geographical locations. In this commentary, the authors promote the use of telehealth as an effective means of treating patients with mental health issues.