The Sen Times

How telehealth is fuelling a surge in ADHD scripts in a business model that benefits the rich

July 23, 2026 (Conversation) Seeing a psychiatrist via telehealth became easier from January 2022. Thats when Medicare-reimbursed telepsychiatry arrangements became permanent. The idea was for these video and phone consultations to provide more flexible and sooner appointment times, without needing to travel. But our new analysis shows what happened next. We show how telepsychiatry became dominated by consultations for stimulant prescriptions since 2022. These were mostly for people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. Telepsychiatry for ADHD specifically did increase access for people living in rural and remote areas. But it was more likely to be provided by psychiatrists living