Lyra Health, a mental health company, introduced new offerings on Wednesday that are focused on teens and families.
Burlingame, California-based Lyra Health 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 through text messaging.
Lyra Health already cares for people of all ages, but Lyra Care for Teens is specifically tailored to teens and will be available starting in June. Patients will gain access to therapists who specialize in evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents. They will also be able to participate in personalized digital lessons in between live sessions.
“The new digital content features immersive animation, short-form videos and relatable scenarios that uniquely resonate with teens, like managing social anxiety and addressing school-related stress,” said Monica Wu, lead clinical product manager at Lyra Health. “Digital exercises and digital guides were also developed specifically for this offering to incorporate teen-specific scenarios and maximize the utility of these tools for this population.”
To track patients’ outcomes, the company is using clinical measures specifically meant for teens, like the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale.
When building Lyra Care for Teens, the company’s clinical experts conducted feedback sessions with teens aged 13 to 17. The teens’ input particularly helped with the digital content, Wu said.
“We know we’re competing with TikTok and YouTube for teen’s attention spans, so we made it a priority to develop and test our clinical content with teens themselves. … This level of partnership was necessary to ensure that the content resonates, meeting teens where they are,” Wu stated. “We’ve found that personalization and relatability are critical for keeping teens interested and engaged as they navigate their mental health journey.”
More support for teens is needed: about one in five children have a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder, but only 20% of them receive care from a specialized provider.
The mental health of kids has a serious impact on families as well, which is why Lyra Health also created the new Family Hub. The Family Hub is a single place on Lyra’s platform that allows caregivers to manage their dependents’ care. It includes access to a care navigator, in-person and virtual therapy for children and teens, family and couples counseling and coaching for parents. It also has on-demand courses for parents.
“Unfortunately, the teen mental health crisis doesn’t stop with teenagers,” Wu said. “When a child is suffering, focusing on anything else can be difficult for parents. … This integrated approach targets the interconnected nature of family mental health, as we know addressing one part of the equation in isolation is often ineffective. Indeed, studies demonstrate that adolescents are more likely to improve if the entire family is receiving care.”
Ultimately, in launching these offerings, the company aims to “support organizations by providing comprehensive mental health solutions for every person and every need, including families and teens,” Wu added.
Other companies that provide mental health services to teens include BeMe Health and Charlie Health.
Photo: SIphotography, Getty Images
