Mental health care availability remains a problem in the United States, as an estimated 50 million Americans are confronting a mental illness, but only approximately half of them receive treatment. 

Why?

There are a number of reasons: provider shortages, wait times, stigma, challenges navigating the system, lack of insurance coverage, and cost. A lack of access to mental healthcare can lead to worsened mental health, negative impacts on relationships, and reduced productivity at work, as mental health challenges can make it harder for someone to show up as their fullest self, both at home and at work.

At Headspace, we’re working to help fill the gap in mental health treatment, removing barriers to care by offering accessible tools for mental healthcare. A new study published in JAMA found that digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) — including the Headspace app — are effective in reducing anxiety, stress, depression, and suicidality among patients waiting for in-person mental health treatment. In fact, the Headspace app outperformed Silvercloud, a cognitive behavioral therapy app, in reducing suicidal ideation. 

The randomized clinical trial, Comparative Effectiveness of Three Digital Interventions for Adults Seeking Psychiatric Services, found decreases in depression and anxiety symptoms across all DMHIs involved in the study, including Headspace. According to the study, “The findings suggest that DMHIs may provide support for patients during waiting list–related delays in care.” Additionally, the study concluded, “... the Headspace arms reported significantly greater improvements on a suicidality measure subscale compared with the Silvercloud arms.” 

The study, which was conducted between May 2020 and December 2022, included 2,079 adult patients seeking outpatient psychiatric services from the University of Michigan Health System. Of the participants, 68.4% were female, 25.9% were male, and 5.1% were transgender or non-binary. 

After completion of baseline surveys for depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidality; study participants were randomly assigned one of five DMHIs:

• Enhanced personalized feedback (EPF)
• Silvercloud only
• Silvercloud + EPF
• Headspace only
• Headspace + EPF

After six weeks, the participants completed the baseline surveys to assess changes. The primary outcome in study was change in depression score based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) with secondary outcomes being anxiety, measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7); substance use, measured by a modified version of the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test; and suicidality, measured by the Positive and Negative Suicidal Ideation 14-item survey. 

The study shows the power of Headspace to help reduce the impact of depression, anxiety, stress, and even suicidality. Specifically, those in the Headspace only arm saw a 22% decrease in depression symptoms, 18% decrease in anxiety symptoms, and 6.5% improvement in suicidality. In a society where mental health problems are growing just as the number of mental healthcare providers is having trouble keeping pace, apps like Headspace can help fill the gap. The research team at the University of Michigan received $17.9 million more funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to complete a larger follow up study including Headspace and DMHIs – expanding upon results from this study to include clinical outcomes, wearable activity trackers, and genetic testing. 

By enabling employees to access the mental healthcare and support they need, when they need it, employers can help their teams lead happier, healthier lives and bring their best selves to work. Interested in learning how Headspace can help organizations improve mental health outcomes for their employees or health plan members? Contact us here. 

Are you a researcher interested in using Headspace for an upcoming research project? You can reach out to research@headspace.com or submit study proposals here. 

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