The way Americans receive mental health care has never changed as quickly as it has since the spring of 2020. When the Covid pandemic forced so many of us into our homes and onto Zoom, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and social workers followed. What started as a short-term fix is now becoming permanent. Today, nearly 40 percent of mental health and substance use outpatient treatment visits at hospitals and clinics are offered remotely, compared with just 1percentin 2019.
This estimate is probably even higher for private psychotherapy practice visits. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association last year, 96 percent of clinical psychologists reported offering at least some services remotely. For millionsof people, getting treatment for anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder can now be done from the comfort and privacy of home. No more bus rides across town or awkward waiting-room encounters.
It’s not just telehealth. While many existed before the pandemic, existing start-ups grew rapidly and dozens of new ones have emerged since, offering to make your smartphone a partner in your mental health care. There are A.I.-informed chatbot therapists; direct-to-consumer therapy via chat and text apps; and smartphone-based cognitive behavioral therapy programs. Companies providing these types of services raised over $5 billion globally in 2021 alone — an increase of 139 percent from the previous year.
So is this good news for America’s collective mental health? Does this proliferation of digital technology really mean that therapy is more accessible than ever before? Well, it depends....