In any one week, a typical consumer today might get a Facebook ad for AbleTo, see a TV ad for TalkSpace, receive a subscription to Headspace as a perk, and get emails about Lyra as an offering through work.
Behavioral health technology is out in full force, and for good reason. Roughly 1 in 5 people will have a behavioral health need in a given year, and COVID-19 has only caused those numbers to increase. Earlier this year (2021), the number of US adults reporting symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder was four times higher than before the pandemic.ii However, across the board, providers and payers are struggling to get these people the care they need.
Considered a crisis before COVID-19, the system to support behavioral health needs in the US has been stretched beyond its breaking point and many patients aren’t able to get care. As more people fall into the “underserved” category than fall in the served category, it opens up an opportunity for new approaches, such as a willingness to look at digital solutions to provide scale.
Everyone deserves access to high-quality affordable mental healthcare--and digital is the key to scalability.
In our most recent Digital Perspective Report: It's Behavioral Health's Time, Finally, I deep dive into the factors that are making scalable behavioral health a reality, the role of digital on this important trend and a vision for how it will impact patient care in the future. Download the report today in our Digital Innovation Group Resource Center to learn more.
