A behavioral health services company is launching a new program to address depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder among college students.
On Thursday, Beacon Health Options announced the Beacon Wellbeing: Student Assistance Program, which will combine online behavioral health services and in-person therapy in order to compliment on-campus counseling services.
The company will also provide access to telehealth therapy and online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which treat the root emotional causes of harmful behavior and teach rational and healthy decision-making behavior.
According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, more than 70 percent of teens believe that anxiety and depression are problems among their peers.
“The need for mental health services on college campuses has increased in recent years, and colleges are struggling to keep up,” Russell C. Petrella, president of Beacon Health Options, said.
“Students have more pressure on them now than they did even 10 years ago. The behavioral health community must put a greater focus on young people and continue evolving services for them, and how they access care, in order to create safe and healthy college environments across the country.”
Under the program, students will be able to access educational content, self-help tools and crisis support along with in-person and virtual visits by trained clinicians on telehealth platforms that can be accessed both on and off-campus. A 24/7 hotline will also connect students in crisis to real-time care, in coordination with campus emergency protocols.
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