Recently published research shows that just two to six sessions of one-on-one online coaching can effectively address symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth.
MADISON, Wis., December 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Bend Health, Inc. (“Bend”), a national provider of pediatric mental health care for children, teens and families, today announced the results of a new study highlighting the positive impact of online coaching sessions on anxiety and depression in youth. Posted in JMIR Formative Researchfindings showed significant improvements in participants’ mental health symptoms after just a few online coaching sessions.
Research results show that children’s mental health outcomes can be significantly improved through virtual one-on-one coaching sessions:
- Over 95% of youth with symptoms of anxiety and depression show clinically significant improvements in their symptoms during training with Bend.
- A reliable improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms was seen in most of the youth participants after just two online coaching sessions. This indicates that the coaching intervention had a rapid and positive impact, leading to clinically significant changes in symptoms early in the intervention process.
- Sustained improvement (i.e., sustained benefits) in anxiety and depression symptoms was observed in most youth participants after just six online coaching sessions, indicating that benefits lasted for at least two consecutive months, above and beyond normal day-to-day variation. Most participants completed the six sessions within two to three months, indicating that online coaching sessions produced rapid and sustained positive effects on youth mental health.
The study analyzed data from 392 youth ages six to 17 who participated in Bend’s virtual behavioral health training alone (without therapy or psychiatry) for at least three months to examine how many coaching sessions were needed. to achieve reliable and stable symptom change in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Sessions were conducted with a master’s level or certified mental health coach.
“These new study findings highlight the positive impact of coaching as a way to reach millions of children who need mental health support. “In just a few sessions with coaches, children and teens show both significant and lasting improvements in both their anxiety and depression symptoms,” said Dr. Monica Roots, co-founder and president of Bend Health. “Providing support to young people through early interventions such as behavioral health coaching can make a significant difference. The goal of exercise is to prevent the development of more severe mental health problems down the line, and this data shows that it works.”
From 2016 to 2020 there is a significant rise in levels of anxiety and depression among youth, with 5.8 million children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety and 2.7 million with depression during this period. Every fifth young person are not receiving adequate mental health treatment, highlighting the vital need for greater accessibility of pediatric mental health services.
The study results add to the growing body of evidence supporting online behavioral health education as a valuable form of mental health care that can help young people reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in a relatively short period of time. Bend Health is committed to providing affordable and effective mental health care that positively impacts the lives of young people.
About Bend Health, Inc.
Bend Health, Inc., a national provider of pediatric mental health services for children and families, is on a mission to improve access and reduce the cost of high-quality, expert mental health care. Bend is revolutionizing treatment through its unique model of collaborative care, which includes coaches, therapists and mental health professionals who work with families to provide comprehensive, personalized care plans that help children feel better today and thrive tomorrow . Through measurement-based care, Bend achieves better outcomes, supporting happier and healthier children and families, with five peer-reviewed studies published in 2023 demonstrating the effectiveness of the model. Bend services are available to 20M millions of children through partnerships with leading insurers, employers and health systems and self-pay. For more information visit www.BendHealth.com
About JMIR publications
JMIR Publications is a leading, native digital open access publisher of over 30 academic journals and other innovative scholarly communication products that focus on the intersection of health and technology. JMIR Formative Research(Impact Factor: 2.2) is a leading publisher of peer-reviewed, publicly available papers containing formative research and preliminary results.
Contact:
Britta Franson, [email protected]
SOURCE Bend Health, Inc
