Lyra Health announces mental health offering for adolescents

Lyra Health, a mental health company, introduced new offerings aimed at teens and families on Wednesday.

Lyra Health, based in Burlingame, California, sells to employers and offers self-guided programs, mental health coaching, therapy and medication management. Patients can receive their care in person, via video or text messaging.

Lyra Health already cares for people of all ages, but Lyra Care for Teens is specifically tailored to teenagers and will be available from June. Patients will have access to therapists who specialize in evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and the Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents. They will also be able to participate in personalized digital lessons between live sessions.

“The new digital content includes immersive animations, short-form videos and relevant storylines that uniquely resonate with teens, such as managing social anxiety and dealing with school-related stress,” said Monica Wu , Senior Clinical Product Manager at Lyra Health. “Digital exercises and digital guides have also been developed specifically for this offering to incorporate adolescent-specific scenarios and maximize the usefulness of these tools for this population.” »

To track patient outcomes, the company uses clinical measures specifically aimed at adolescents, such as the Revised Childhood Anxiety and Depression Scale.

When Lyra Care for Teens was created, the company’s clinical experts conducted feedback sessions with adolescents aged 13 to 17. Teens’ input has been particularly helpful for digital content, Wu said.

“We know we’re competing with TikTok and YouTube for teens’ attention spans, so we’ve made it a priority to develop and test our clinical content with teens themselves. …This level of partnership was necessary to ensure the content resonated and met teens where they are,” Wu said. “We found that personalization and relatability are key to keeping teens interested and engaged.” adolescents throughout their mental health journey.”

More support is needed for adolescents: approximately one in five children suffer from a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder, but only 20% of them receive care from a specialized provider.

Children’s mental health also has a serious impact on families, which is why Lyra Health has also created the new Family Hub. The Family Hub is a single place on the Lyra platform that allows caregivers to manage the care of their dependents. It includes access to a care navigator, in-person and virtual therapy for children and adolescents, family and couples counseling, and parent coaching. It also offers on-demand classes for parents.

“Unfortunately, the adolescent mental health crisis doesn’t stop with teenagers,” Wu said. “When a child is suffering, it can be difficult for parents to focus on anything else. …This integrated approach targets the interconnected nature of family mental health, because we know that addressing one part of the equation in isolation is often ineffective. In fact, studies show that adolescents are more likely to improve if the whole family receives care. »

Ultimately, by launching these offerings, the company aims to “support organizations by providing comprehensive mental health solutions for every person and every need, including families and adolescents,” Wu added.

Other companies that provide mental health services to adolescents include BeMe Health and Charlie Health.

Photo: SIphotographie, Getty Images