Telehealth Should Stick Around. Teens Need It.
Therapy conducted via FaceTime or Zoom is helping adolescents who, prior to the pandemic, may have had to go without.
Connected.
Photographer: Carlos Alvarez/Getty ImagesThe Covid pandemic seemed to worsen teems’ and adolescents’ mental health, according to several recent studies. But now, new research shows a reason for hope: Telehealth seems to be giving many more kids access to support. That’s a win worth celebrating. And it should push us to ensure virtual care is more permanently and equitably integrated into mental health services for minors.
The worrisome gap between kids who need help and those who get it predates the pandemic. For example, the rate of major depression among kids doubled between 2009 and 2019, and an estimated 1 in 5 kids have experienced a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that just 20% of them get help from a specialized provider.