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How the Pandemic is Changing the Way Mental Health is Covered
The statistics on mental health and the pandemic don’t lie.
Depression now impacts 1 in 3 Americans, and the story gets worse when we include anxiety. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the number of Americans with anxiety has skyrocketed from 7.4% in 2019 to 37.2%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The pandemic is bringing mental health to the forefront for all behavioral health professionals, forcing us to rethink how we can treat the skyrocketing number of people with mental health issues. It’s no longer about lumping mental health digital solutions into a large telemedicine basket. Technology has changed rapidly in this sector since the pandemic started, enabling providers and behavioral specialists to treat more people than ever before.
Here’s a closer look at how mental health solutions and treatments have changed since the pandemic began.
Consumers are Embracing Online Solutions
Many patients tell us they no longer want face-to-face sessions. Instead, they want the flexibility and convenience of holding a session in the comfort of their own home. Especially in this new world where a private meeting indoors puts our health at risk, travel has become less desirable.
By offering more flexible schedules for employees and members, your organization can better adapt to your employee needs. Many health plans and providers already are challenging the status quo of requiring physical sessions. Instead, they’re now covering virtual sessions—a personalized, convenient option that patients can engage with on their phone.
In addition, 22 states have recently changed laws to address telehealth insurance coverage during the pandemic. This new form of therapy is only going to expand as the pandemic continues. While it is a positive step in the right direction and telehealth does help with access for areas that do not have mental health provider coverage, a provider shortage across the US remains a challenge. We need to be looking at innovations that enhance and scale how mental health providers are interacting with their patients.
Digital Platforms are More Convenient for Patients and Mental Health Professionals
The shortage of healthcare providers has been an area of concern for years. There’s been a growing need for mental health resources and yet we now have fewer practitioners to assist.
Although the shortage of therapists is still an ongoing problem, providers have been improving services to decrease the pressure and stress these healthcare workers are under. Meru Health developed a 12-week treatment program that the patient can access on their smartphones. The program includes on-demand chat access to a licensed therapist who will support them on their journey. We are able to scale the therapy session without putting an additional burden on therapists. New and innovative technology like this is helping to drive down the costs of mental healthcare, while easing the burden of professionals.
Virtual health usage has increased 38 times compared to the period before the pandemic. Millennials and Generation Z patients are opting towards even more convenient texting sessions. Shifting to a text-based offering provides more incentives to younger and work-from-home audiences who feel more comfortable expressing their anxiety via the written word.
Companies that ignore the growing mental pain and do not upgrade their mental health benefits will suffer over time with increased absenteeism and on-the-job productivity issues. Research from the American Psychiatric Association found that unresolved depression negatively affects work performance, resulting in a 35% reduction in productivity.
Yes, your mental health spend will initially increase, but overall, your healthcare spend will decrease over time as employees with depression and anxiety get healthier. And as they get healthier, these employees will take fewer sick days and productivity will increase, reducing the $210 billion lost annually from absenteeism and on-the-job mental health issues.
As companies begin to implement more offerings geared towards mental health, their productivity will thrive once again.
Brett Shrewsbury is the chief commercial officer for Meru Health.
The views expressed in Perspectives are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Behavioral Healthcare Executive, the Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Learning Network, or other Network authors. Perspectives entries are not medical advice.
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