SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meru Health, the most comprehensive mental health solution in the market with industry-leading outcomes, announced today the launch of a new program designed to help Meru Health graduates continue to learn and practice new skills even after they complete the 12-week evidenced-based treatment program.
In addition to unlimited access to the Meru Health App that includes video content, a biofeedback device, audio lessons and practices, graduates will now have access to live and pre-recorded interactive webinars hosted by Meru Health’s licensed therapists.
“We’re thrilled to launch this extended 1-year program for our graduates to have continued opportunities to refresh the skills they learned during our 12-week program," said Erin Hartley, VP of Clinical Operations at Meru Health. “Our company mission is founded on empowerment and the belief that people, even when struggling with mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, can improve their mental health if they are given the right tools. This belief is at the heart and center of the care we deliver. Our monthly webinar series will be an additional tool to support our participants and help them stay on the right path and keep practicing the new skills they learned during our 12-week therapist guided program. Mental health is like a muscle – the more you train it, the stronger it gets and the more steady it holds as we go through life's inevitable ups and downs.”
The long-term results of mental health care are appalling. A real-world antidepressant study showed a response rate of less than 20 percent at end-of-treatment and less than 30 percent at 12-month follow-up. Also, even if people get better, 50% of people who had their first episode will relapse into another episode, and after a 2nd episode, about 80% will relapse again to have a 3rd episode.
The new program will be offered to Meru graduates starting in January 2022. The interactive webinars will focus on research-backed educational content with topics ranging from thriving in stressful times, to the science behind biofeedback and mindfulness, and habits to sustain change in our daily lives.
Meru Health is focused on delivering the best long and short-term outcomes in the market. After program completion, 75% of people are in depression or anxiety symptom remission and 85 percent of people show clinically significant improvement, measured on industry standard PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) scales.
The Meru Health Program is the only intervention with published research that shows that these treatment gains last 12 months after the end of treatment. The new program aims to further strengthen these results.
“While improving access and engagement are important metrics, we should put more emphasis on the outcomes as we evaluate different mental health solutions,” said Kristian Ranta, the CEO of Meru Health. “We should not settle for the poor outcomes the old standard of care delivers anymore. So far it has always struck me that with modern medicine we can replace people’s hearts and more, but depression is still seen as a chronic disease. We are here to fix that. People don’t have to live with depression or anxiety for the rest of their lives.”
About Meru Health
Meru Health is setting the new standard in mental healthcare with the most comprehensive online solution that combines licensed therapists and psychiatrists, a smartphone-based treatment program, biofeedback training, anonymous peer support, and habit-changing activities for sleep, nutrition, and more.
The company is committed to evidence-based care and has published groundbreaking clinical outcomes with Stanford, Harvard, and UC Davis that show promising clinical effectiveness and lasting results. Meru Health offers a convenient, accessible, side effect-free mental health treatment option in contrast to the standard of care in the U.S. today. Meru Health partners with major health insurance providers like Cigna, Humana, and Moda Health, as well as leading businesses who want to provide best-in-class mental health care for their employees or members. For more information, visit www.meruhealth.com and follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Maiju Pohjola
maiju.pohjola@meruhealth.com
(650) 505-4947