Despite growing access to and acceptance of therapy, younger generations seem to be struggling with mental health challenges now more than ever: according to the CDC, 40 percent of high schoolers reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless, and 20 percent seriously considered attempting suicide in 2023. Suicide deaths among 10- to 24-year-olds increased by a shocking 62 percent from 2007 to 2021. So what’s causing this mental health crisis, and how do we stop it?
To get his take, Katie sat down with Dr. Jon Cohen, CEO of the online therapy platform Talkspace. He explained that shame about seeking treatment isn’t the primary reason why young people are particularly vulnerable: “Gen Z and millennials are very comfortable discussing their feelings,” he says. “There are still cultural stigmas around therapy, but maybe because young people are so used to being in constant communication with others, they’re much more aware of and willing to discuss their issues.” And while access to therapy does still have a ways to go, online platforms like Talkspace are helping narrow that gap: Talkspace is now covered by Medicare and most insurance platforms, meaning about 165 million Americans are eligible for coverage either entirely for free, or at the cost of a copay.
Expanding access to therapy can’t come soon enough, especially for teens: On social media, bullying runs rampant and kids are bombarded with messaging that can damage their self-esteem. That’s why Talkspace has been working with New York City school systems to help provide kids aged 13 to 17 with free access to lifesaving mental health services — and they’re working to expand this program to other cities. “20,000 teens signed up within the first year,” says Dr. Cohen. “And I’m sure 99 percent of those kids would never have had therapy before.”
While social media will likely be ubiquitous for decades to come, Dr. Cohen believes we need to use the very tool that’s been so destructive as a force for healing. “We’re not going to solve [the social media and cellphone addiction] issue, so we actually have kids access therapy on their phones,” he says. “With Talkspace, people can text with their therapist, and that’s been really attractive to students.”
In addition to allowing kids to communicate with a therapist in a way that’s comfortable for them, one unexpected benefit of text therapy is that it provides Talkspace with a wealth of information, to better understand what may drive young people to suicide. Using a large language AI model, in 2019, Talkspace aggregated millions of anonymized text conversations to find words and phrases that might help identify individuals at the highest risk of self-harm. The results were found to be 86 percent accurate, so the company now sends an alert to a therapist if their model picks up these specific words or phrases in a user’s message.
While mental health challenges among young people remain at an all-time high, innovative solutions are emerging to meet the growing need for support. By leveraging technology, increasing accessibility, and breaking down barriers to care, we can better equip young people to manage their mental health in an increasingly digital world. As the conversation around mental health continues to evolve, it’s clear that access to timely and personalized therapy could be key to reversing the alarming trends we’re seeing today. The fight for better mental health resources is far from over, but the tools to make a difference are within reach.
