You may have heard talk about a teen mental health crisis in the US, and unfortunately this isn’t just talk. Data and the observations of Talkspace therapists show that many teens are not okay. According to the latest CDC data, 42% of high school students reported feeling very sad or hopeless and in a survey of Talkspace providers who work with teens, 63% report that they believe the mental health of high schoolers has gotten worse over the past two years (and only 8% say it has improved).
Maryland is no exception—in fact an alarming 17% of Maryland youth had attempted suicide, according to CDC data from 2021. We know that, nationwide, too few teens in crisis receive the support they need, and nearly 6 in 10 youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment.
The counselors and administrators of Baltimore County Public Schools want to do everything they can to support the mental health of their district’s high school students, so they’ve partnered with Talkspace. Now any high schooler age 13 and up in a Baltimore County public high school can receive messaging therapy with a licensed Talkspace therapist, and have access to a clinically proven online mental health program they can complete at their own pace.
Here’s how BCPS high schoolers can sign up:
- Visit talkspace.com/bcps and enter your preferred email and keyword to qualify. The keyword can be found on the announcement page of the Focus Student Portal.
- Answer a few questions about your emotions and mental state and you’ll receive a personalized support program through the Talkspace Go app. You’ll find mental health education and self-guided exercises designed for teens. You can complete exercises and online courses entirely at your own pace.
- If you choose to receive 1-on-1 messaging therapy, within a day or two you’ll be matched with a therapist licensed in Maryland. Talkspace technology pairs you with a therapist based on factors such as what you’re struggling with and therapist speciality.
- You can send messages to your Talkspace therapist 24/7. Therapists generally respond every day, 5 days per week.
Messaging therapy takes place on Talkspace’s secure and encrypted platform, accessible from the teens’ smartphones, tablets or computers. They can communicate with their therapist at any time with an unlimited number of private messages at no cost. The efficacy of Talkspace’s message-based therapy has been validated by 20+ published studies conducted in partnership with major research institutions including Columbia University and New York University.
Teens love the option of messaging and having daily access to their counselor which is a huge benefit of what Talkspace has to offer. Many teens seem more comfortable with messaging therapy—the availability of it seems to be comforting for them.
Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC
The team of Talkspace therapists who are available to work with Baltimore County public high school teens have received special training in working with teenagers, and have expertise in a wide range of conditions, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and more. But therapy isn’t only for teenagers with a specific mental health need—the service is available to any student who simply wants somebody to listen and help them deal with the typical stresses of modern teen life. Seeking therapy and other forms of mental health support even when there’s not an urgent issue to address may prevent mental health problems from developing, by giving teens the tools they need to regulate their emotions and manage stress in a healthy way.
There isn’t a simple solution to the mental health challenges facing US teens, but offering them a space to be heard is a fundamental first step. The Baltimore County Public Schools are providing that for their students, and we hope that by placing understanding, caring professionals at these teens’ fingertips, so support is always just a message away, their students will be able to feel better now and develop insights and coping skills to support mentally healthy futures.
For more information on the program including registration and parental/legal guardian consent, visit talkspace.com/bcps.
Interested in learning how Talkspace can support teen mental health in your school, district, or community? Reach out to learn more.
Sources:
Youth Risk Behavior Survey: 2021 Results. CDC. April 2022.
The State of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America, 2023.
Talkspace articles are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors; they are grounded in scientific research and evidence-based practices. Articles are extensively reviewed by our team of clinical experts (therapists and psychiatrists of various specialties) to ensure content is accurate and on par with current industry standards.
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