The use of videoconferencing technologies (VCT) is on the rise given its potential to close the gap between mental health care need and availability. Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of these services compared to those delivered in-person. A series of meta-analyses were conducted using 57 empirical studies (43 examining intervention outcomes; 14 examining assessment reliability) published over the past two decades that included a variety of populations and clinical settings. Using conventional and HLM3 meta-analytical approaches, VCT consistently produced treatment effects that were largely equivalent to in-person delivered interventions across 281 individual outcomes and 4336 clients, with female clients and those treated in medical facilities tending to respond more favorably to VCT than in-person. Results of an HLM3 model suggested assessments conducted using VCT did not appear to lead to differential decisions compared to those conducted in-person across 83 individual outcomes and 332 clients/examinees. Although aggregate findings support the use of VCT as a viable alternative to in-person service delivery of mental healthcare, several limitations in the current literature base were revealed. Most concerning was the relatively limited number of randomized controlled trials and the inconsistent (and often incomplete) reporting of methodological features and results. Recommendations for reporting the findings of telemental health research are provided.

视频会议技术 (VCT) 的使用正在增加，因为它有可能缩小精神卫生保健需求和可用性之间的差距。然而，与面对面提供的服务相比，人们对这些服务的有效性知之甚少。使用过去二十年发表的 57 项实证研究（43 项检查干预结果；14 项检查评估可靠性）进行了一系列荟萃分析，其中包括各种人群和临床环境。使用传统和 HLM3 元分析方法，VCT 始终产生的治疗效果在 281 个个体结果和 4336 个客户中大致相当于亲自提供的干预，女性客户和在医疗机构接受治疗的客户对 VCT 的反应往往比在-人。HLM3 模型的结果表明，与在 83 个个人结果和 332 个客户/受检者中亲自进行的评估相比，使用 VCT 进行的评估似乎没有导致不同的决定。尽管综合研究结果支持使用 VCT 作为一种可行的替代精神保健的面对面服务提供，但揭示了当前文献库中的一些局限性。最令人担忧的是随机对照试验的数量相对有限，以及方法学特征和结果的报告不一致（通常不完整）。提供了报告远程心理健康研究结果的建议。尽管综合研究结果支持使用 VCT 作为一种可行的替代精神保健的面对面服务提供，但揭示了当前文献库中的一些局限性。最令人担忧的是随机对照试验的数量相对有限，以及方法学特征和结果的报告不一致（通常不完整）。提供了报告远程心理健康研究结果的建议。尽管综合研究结果支持使用 VCT 作为一种可行的替代精神保健的面对面服务提供，但揭示了当前文献库中的一些局限性。最令人担忧的是随机对照试验的数量相对有限，以及方法学特征和结果的报告不一致（通常不完整）。提供了报告远程心理健康研究结果的建议。