Effectively treating children with mental health challenges often requires parental involvement. However, mental health care options for the whole family may be limited. To help fill these gaps in mental health care, Silver Cloud Healthpart Anwell, has launched a new suite of digital programs that the company believes will address the mental health needs of families. The company launched the service this week at the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition in Orlando.
“Mental health in the U.S. is a pretty fragmented and complex system,” Luke Raymond, head of the U.S. health systems strategy business unit at Boston-based SilverCloud Health, said in an interview. HIMSS22“It’s hard to get in and it’s hard for the family to understand.”
Digital mental health solutions have proliferated during the pandemic as social isolation leads to depression and anxiety in adults and children.But reaching a mental health professional has been difficult, especially when Long wait times to see a psychiatrist.
As an alternative, digital mental health solutions allow people to access necessary support anytime, anywhere, said Raymond, who is trained as a counselor. Specifically, SilverCloud’s new offerings include programs, content, interactive tools and videos aimed at addressing family mental health issues.
This includes helping expectant and new parents experiencing emotional problems during pregnancy or after the birth of a child. Using internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, new parents can learn to better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and implement positive changes. According to the company, the goal is to improve the well-being of parents from conception to a year after a child is born.
Virtual educational resources and cognitive-behavioral therapy strategies are also available to help parents of children and teens with anxiety and depression, which have increased during the pandemic.
One of the six courses in the family support kit is “Supporting Children with Anxiety”. The course is designed to help caregivers with children aged 5 to 11 cope with worries and anxieties, while also providing helpful strategies that parents can use to address their own anxiety. SilverCloud said the program combines elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, such as education around their mental health issues and relaxation, with the goal of enabling children to identify their anxiety and apply their skills to situations that trigger it.
Teens also have direct access to digital resources.
“We have specially designed programs and content (for the needs of children and families) that they can access to help them manage their depression and anxiety,” Raymond said. “It’s all based on cognitive behavioral therapy, which is the most evidence-based type of intervention for depression, anxiety and stress.”
New family programs, tools and videos are delivered through MemorialCare, a comprehensive primary and behavioral healthcare provider in California.
“SilverCloud Health’s approach to helping our patients build the skill sets they need to be successful long after the program is over is critical,” said Dr. Mark Schafer, CEO of MemorialCare Medical Group. in the statement.
Photo: Alisa Zahoruiko, Getty Images
