Telemental Health in South Africa

South Africa is a large and diverse nation with the majority of the population living in rural areas. It was an early leader in telemedicine on the African continent, but telemedicine stagnated for nearly ten 10 years after failure of a National Telemedicine System. This chapter reviews the provision of mental health services through videoconference-based telemental health and mHealth in South Africa. The use of this technology to provide Tele-education to improve staff knowledge and raise awareness, and the provision of forensic services are also discussed. In addition, obstacles to implement these services in south African context, including political will, infrastructure, and legal and ethical issues discussed with possible solutions.