Is Telepsychiatry Suitable for Turkish Culture? Perspectives and Concerns of Patients Toward Videoconferencing-Based...

Videoconference-based telepsychiatry (VBT) is a widely used method in developed countries. However, it is not routinely used in public hospitals in Türkiye. This study aimed to investigate Turkish psychiatric patients' awareness, experiences, attitudes, expectations, and concerns regarding VBT and to psychometrically validate a newly developed scale assessing attitudes toward VBT.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 769 psychiatric outpatients aged 18-65 years at Marmara University Pendik Research and Training Hospital. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, technological resources, knowledge and use of telepsychiatry, and attitudes toward telepsychiatry were assessed. A 24-item Attitude Toward Telepsychiatry Scale was developed and psychometrically tested through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

Only 32.4% of patients had knowledge of telepsychiatry, and 6.2% had experience with online psychiatric sessions. Awareness and use were associated with younger age, higher education, and greater access to technological resources. The new scale showed a four-factor structure: perceived effectiveness, usefulness, accessibility, and worries about privacy, with good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89). Patients generally reported positive attitudes toward VBT, recognizing its potential benefits for accessibility and convenience. However, substantial concerns remained regarding confidentiality and technical reliability. Knowledge and experience with telepsychiatry were negatively associated with attitude scores, suggesting potential unfamiliarity-based skepticism.

Despite low utilization, Turkish psychiatric patients exhibited an overall favorable perspective toward telepsychiatry. Addressing privacy and infrastructure concerns and raising public awareness could facilitate the integration of telepsychiatry into Türkiye's public health care system. The developed scale demonstrated strong psychometric properties and offers a valuable tool for future research.