Virtual behavioral health company Brightline published a study March 17 on the effectiveness of virtual behavioral health care to address the mental health needs of children and teenagers.
The study was published in JMIR Formative Research and examined the use of Brightline's behavioral health service to improve access to behavioral health care for families in the midst of growing mental health needs for children brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study enrolled 4,139 participants in Brightline's nationwide service and was conducted from February to September 2022. Of those participants, 2,393 were referred for Brightline's coaching program, 1,698 were referred for therapy and psychiatry, and 48 were referred out for more intensive care.
The study found that more than 70 percent of participants reported experiencing reduced internalized symptoms such as depression and anxiety after virtual therapy and coaching sessions through the service.
The majority of participants also showed overall improvement following their experience, with 69 percent of virtual therapy participants and 75 percent of coaching program participants showing significant improvement.
In addition, caregivers of participants reported reductions in stress associated with caring for their child's mental health needs across virtual therapy and coaching participants.