AKRON, Ohio — U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy describes the youth mental health crisis as the "defining public health challenge of our time."
It's a challenge seen daily at Akron Children's Hospital, which serves 262,000 youths across 12 counties where the poverty rate is higher than the national average, and where there are significant barriers to social determinants of health (SDOH).
"We've seen firsthand the youth mental health crisis in over a quarter of our teen patients in pediatric practices," Dr. Eva Szigethy, director of behavioral health and the Lois C. Orr Endowed Chair in Pediatric Psychiatry, told 3News. "It's hitting hardest in rural counties, where it's difficult to recruit and maintain qualified behavioral health providers, and the patient population's limited resources make it a high risk for adverse health outcomes."
That's why Akron Children's partnered with Woebot Health to make Woebot for Adolescents available through clinician referral to 13-to-17-year-old patients. It's putting help in the palm of their hands.
Woebot for Adolescents is an app for phone or tablet. It's a non-prescription digital tool intended for 13-to-17-year-olds that delivers in-the-moment mental health support. Teens who need it will be able to get it from their pediatricians.
The app provides support through user-directed, always-available, interactive conversations and tools. It's intended to encourage healthy lifestyle choices, which may help individuals live well with symptoms of anxiety and depression.
If a crisis is detected, the app guides the teen to resources for help, and encourages them to reach out to a parent or adult.
It includes content specific to teens along with media literacy, which walks them through the basics of social media and how to spot what supports them, bullying in school settings, body image, and psychoeducation, including gratitude journaling, goal setting, identifying strengths, and learning about growth mindset.
The three-year agreement provides unlimited distribution of the tool beginning in October, when Woebot will first be delivered under clinician recommendation to patients in three under-resourced rural counties who screen for depression or anxiety during their annual wellness visit, and later to patients across Akron Children's Hospital's 44 primary care pediatrics offices.
"We chose Woebot because it is a novel approach designed specifically for teens that integrates into our existing patient experience and workflows and enhances our new care models," Szigethy said. "We're excited that Woebot Health is partnering with us to deliver a breakthrough solution that can help speed access to mental health support."