LAUSR

The inexorable pace of technological advancement is accelerating during our “digital revolution” and is continuing to transform all aspects of life – whether we like it or not. One aspect of this is the proliferation of virtual interventions for health (such as tele-health), including mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic added fuel to this revolutionary fire given the need to rapidly pivot towards virtual interventions in the context of “physical distancing” strategies employed to reduce the spread of infection (Chong et al., 2020). Apart from reducing COVID-19 infection risk, there were other advantages of virtual interventions in that for many, this type of delivery could address access barriers such as geographical distance, lack of transport, frailty, anxiety about leaving home, cost and personal preference.