Why Can’t We Talk About Suicide? 

Mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance misuse, can take a heavy toll. Mental health services can help in providing relief, but making time to see a professional isn’t always easy— particularly for those who live far away from a doctor's office or have busy schedules. The solution: online mental health treatment.  Online mental health treatment offers a convenient and accessible way to get a recommended treatment plan by working with a licensed prescriber remotely. To start, you may be asked to complete a questionnaire to share your symptoms and medical history. You may also need to schedule a video consultation with a medication prescriber or other healthcare provider. During the consultation, the prescriber will discuss your symptoms and treatment options with you.  In this article, we'll dive into how online treatment plans can provide the tools you need to lead the life you want.   Addressing depression and anxiety Depression and anxiety are two common mental health disorders, affecting people of all ages. While there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for either condition, medication can be an effective way to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Telehealth offers a holistic approach, incorporating therapy sessions and medication management. The virtual nature of telehealth plans eliminates barriers like transportation and scheduling conflicts, making consistent care more achievable. Several different medications can be prescribed for depression and anxiety. Some common medications include: Antidepressants: Antidepressants work by increasing levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. These neurotransmitters are thought to play a role in mood regulation and emotions. A few common antidepressants include: Citalopram (Celexa) Escitalopram (Lexapro) Fluoxetine (Prozac) Sertraline (Zoloft) Amitriptyline (Elavil) Bupropion (Wellbutrin) Trazodone (Desyrel) Mirtazapine (Remeron) Vortioxetine (Trintellix)  Duloxetine (Cymbalta) Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) Venlafaxine (Effexor) Anti-anxiety medications: Anti-anxiety medications can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, such as worry, restlessness, and physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate and sweating. A few common anti-anxiety medications include: Buspirone (Buspar) Hydroxyzine (Vistaril) Navigating PTSD and stressful life events Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the aftermath of stressful life events can create a profound impact on an individual's emotional well-being, often leading to debilitating symptoms that affect daily life. Telehealth treatment plans recognize the sensitivity of these experiences and offer a safe and confidential space for individuals to openly discuss their traumas. This level of comfort is particularly crucial for those hesitant to seek help in traditional settings, where the stigma surrounding mental health may act as a deterrent.  A prescriber may recommend antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or other pharmaceuticals to complement therapy sessions. The prescriber collaborates closely with patients to fine-tune medication plans based on their unique needs and responses. This personalized approach ensures that the medication component of the treatment plan is not only effective but also mindful of individual sensitivities and preferences. Tackling mood disorders Individuals grappling with severe mood swings can benefit from the convenience of virtual check-ins, providing regular opportunities to discuss their symptoms with healthcare professionals. This ongoing dialogue allows for timely adjustments to medication dosages or types, allowing treatment to evolve in response to the individual's needs.  Some commonly prescribed medications to help manage mood disorders include:  Mood stabilizers Divalproex sodium (Depakote)  Carbamazepine (Tegretol) Lamotrigine (Lamictal)  Quetiapine (Seroquel) Lurasidone (Latuda) Valproate (Depakote) Overcoming sleep trouble Sleep troubles, a common companion to mental health challenges, establish a detrimental cycle of fatigue and emotional instability. Medication can help regulate sleep patterns and give relief to sufferers. Virtual sessions facilitate regular monitoring and adjustments, ensuring that individuals receive tailored support to escape the grip of sleep-related challenges. Doxepin (Silenor) is an FDA-approved medication commonly prescribed for sleep troubles. This pharmacological intervention is complemented by therapy sessions that delve into the underlying causes of insomnia or other sleep disorders. By addressing both the symptoms and root causes, telehealth treatment plans offer a holistic approach to promoting restful sleep and improved emotional resilience.  Mitigating ADHD-related focus and concentration issues ADHD-related focus and concentration issues can affect one’s productivity and overall well-being. With a telehealth treatment plan, a prescriber may recommend medications that can enhance cognitive function, promoting improved focus and concentration levels.  Here are some examples of medications commonly used to improve focus and concentration: Atomoxetine (Strattera) Guanfacine (Intuniv)  Clonidine (Kapvay) Bupropion (Wellbutrin) Simultaneously, therapy sessions play a key role in identifying and addressing the underlying issues contributing to difficulties concentrating, such as stress, anxiety, or attention-related disorders. The combination of medication and therapeutic support within the online framework ensures a comprehensive approach to bolstering cognitive abilities.  Confronting substance and alcohol abuse Addressing substance and alcohol misuse demands a comprehensive strategy, and online medication plans prove to be instrumental in this multifaceted approach. Medications used for substance and alcohol abuse aim to assist individuals in managing cravings, reducing withdrawal symptoms, and supporting them in maintaining sobriety.  Here are some medications commonly prescribed for substance and alcohol misuse treatment: Disulfiram (Antabuse) Naltrexone (Revia, Vivitrol) Acamprosate (Campral) Combining medication with therapeutic support provides a holistic approach to individuals seeking to overcome the hurdles of substance and alcohol abuse, fostering a pathway toward lasting recovery. See a prescriber and fill your Rx with Cerebral Cerebral provides access to licensed prescribers who follow evidence-based practices when exploring treatment options and work with you to develop a treatment plan based on your needs and goals. Follow-ups are included with the monthly prices, as is access to CerebralRx, our in-house pharmacy.  With CerebralRx you can easily fill your mental health medication prescription and get it delivered discreetly to your door with free, 2-day shipping. Plus, we’ve lowered the cost of medication so you enjoy savings up to 80% off retail pharmacy prices. Click for a list of some of the medications we offer.

For many Americans suffering from mental health issues, finding the right clinician can seem like an insurmountable challenge.  This problem is exacerbated by the lack of clinicians who can serve the staggering number of Americans coping with psychiatric conditions. An estimated 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. have experienced a mental illness, and 1 in 20 experienced a serious mental illness (SMI) in 2020. Indeed, only 46.2 percent of individuals suffering from mental illnesses in this study received treatment.  In our State of Care report we looked at why so few people are able to access care and found that it often comes down to a few key factors: cost of care, lack of providers who take insurance or are in-network, long wait times for an appointment, clinician fit (e.g., cultural, stylistic, etc.), and clinician availability. We examined each of these concerns in depth in our report and in our companion blog post in September, but today we’d like to highlight perhaps the most nebulous and hard to measure of all those issues: clinician fit. Why We Need Clinician Fit Mental health treatment is a very personal process, one that is most beneficial only if a patient is comfortable to fully engage in their treatment. Unlike some medical specialties like surgery or radiology where bedside manner is relatively less important, mental health care requires a personal connection between patient and provider.  This predicament is doubly-true for minority populations, who already suffer from lack of representation among mental health clinicians. Many black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ patients, among others, often report that they are unable to find a mental health care provider who comes from a similar background, or who can relate to their experiences. The mental health care profession is predominantly white, leaving patients from diverse backgrounds at risk of feeling uncomfortable or at least hesitant to begin treatment.  Clinician Matching and How it Can Help This is why it is so important to feel comfortable with your mental health care provider. As digital-only providers are not bound by location restrictions, telehealth companies already have access to a more diverse set of mental health care professionals than brick-and-mortar peers provide. Instead of just matching patients based purely on availability, telehealth companies can take into account patient preferences.  Clinicians can be assigned to patients based on their familiarity with specific conditions like anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. More personal factors like ethnic background, age range, and gender can also be factored in if patients wish. These preferences can be determined by a simple questionnaire. Why it Matters  Improving clinician fit ultimately improves treatment, by helping patients feel comfortable and allowing it to begin more quickly, a critical consideration in serious mental illnesses cases where self-harm is a danger. And, by measuring and tracking how patients respond to providers that more closely align with their preferences, we believe we can make a fundamental improvement in outcomes. Clinician fit is yet another example of how telehealth can be a solution to issues that have been a hurdle for patients and providers alike for decades. With the right tools for patients and clinicians, we can reinvent the field and deliver on our mission to broaden access to  mental health care for all.

Millions of Americans who suffer from mental illnesses go untreated. This number has only risen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with fresh headlines detailing how serious the crisis has become. Just this month, for example, new data released in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that almost 1 in 10 Americans suffer from depression. However, many victims of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are simply unable to access the care they need for their conditions. At Cerebral, the majority of the patients who come to our platform haven’t been able to access high quality care through other avenues. In an effort to bring more attention to this issue, we have published our inaugural State of Mental Health Care report today. Its aim is to take a holistic look at the mental health field and provide Cerebral’s perspective on the potential solutions to our field’s main challenges. The full report can be found here. Barriers to access: why are so few people getting treatment? To compile our report, we evaluated numerous peer reviewed studies and sources of publicly available information. The results paint a stark picture: in 2020, 1 in 5 US adults experienced a mental illness, and 1 in 20 faced a serious mental illness (SMI), but only 46.2% of individuals received treatment. Our analysis has pinpointed five key reasons for why that is: cost of care, lack of providers who take insurance or are in-network, long wait times for an appointment, clinician fit (e.g. cultural, stylistic factors, etc.), and clinician availability, each with varying impact, depending on the individual. Cost of care was the most cited factor among these five. In the US, 10.3% of adults with a mental illness were uninsured in 2020, and for those without insurance, a standard hour-long therapy session can cost up to/more than $250. What’s more, only 56% of psychiatrists accept commercial insurance, compared to 90% of non-mental health physicians. Taken together, these unfortunate circumstances force many Americans seeking mental health care to pay out of pocket. What’s more, the cost is often prohibitive, even for those earning a comfortable living. An estimated 39% of US adults cited cost as a reason for not receiving mental health treatment. Even if an individual can overcome the sheer cost of care, they face additional barriers such as finding an available clinician who is (1) in their area, (2) accepting new patients, and (3) a cultural and stylistic fit. The average wait time for an appointment for new psychiatric patients can range from 25 to 90 days. As of March 2021, an estimated 122 million Americans were living in areas with a shortage of mental health care professionals. About two thirds of these shortages were in rural or partially rural parts of the country. Finally, as of 2020, the American Psychological Association reported that of all American psychologists, only 6.18% identified as LatinX, and only 4.24% identified as Black.To make matters worse, many people also battle with the stigma of admitting to mental health issues and seeking treatment for them at all. Our beleaguered mental health system is not setting our patients up for success. Cerebral’s Mission: Meeting Patients Where They Are  The reality for our patients prior to finding Cerebral is that it has been very hard for them to get help. Of the patients who turn to Cerebral for depression treatment, 76% report symptoms consistent with moderately severe or severe depression. Similarly, of the patients who came to Cerebral for anxiety treatment, 89% report symptoms consistent with moderately severe or severe anxiety. Cerebral’s telehealth model has proven its ability to fill this void. Our fully virtual model allows our clinicians to meet people where they are, vastly expanding the field of mental health care professionals. Patients have an easier time both getting that first appointment and making that personal connection through a tailored matching algorithm where we take into account our patients’ preferences. All the while, they can avoid perceived stigmas by taking appointments from their phone or computer or wherever they’re most comfortable. Above all, we are committed to ensuring that our clinical care is high-quality and equal to or above widely accepted standards of care. We do this by incorporating outcomes measurement into everything we do, something that is sorely lacking in the mental health care field. As an example, we use data science to improve care via a System for Measurement-based Access to Relationship-focused Treatment (SMART) approach. Our platform matches patients in a timely manner with an appropriate care team and care plan based on patient preference and clinical need. In turn, Cerebral is enabled to deliver high-quality care by using actionable data to improve access and therapeutic relationships. Cerebral tracks meaningful and actionable clinical quality indicators in order to monitor effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and timeliness of care. This approach stands in stark contrast to traditional mental health care providers, who have been hesitant to undertake measurement in a rigorous manner. A recent study even reported that 25% of psychiatrists do not use electronic medical records, and opt for paper notes instead. For underserved communities and others, Cerebral’s data-driven approach will also help us set broader benchmarks for care that can improve results in the future. What’s next? Cerebral is making strides every day in closing both the access and quality gap outlined in our State of Mental Health Care report. This is just the beginning, and much remains to be done.. At Cerebral, we are committed to facing this challenge head on, and we will continue to commit to democratizing access to high quality mental health care for all.