Lyra Health Introduces Lyra Care for Teens

May 22, 2024 at 08:00 AM EDT

Company deepens investment in whole-family mental health, enabling teens in need to access Lyra’s tech-enabled care platform and teen-specialized employed providers nationwide

Lyra Health, the leading provider of innovative Workforce Mental Health solutions for employers, today announced a new mental health care offering to address the growing teen mental health crisis. Lyra already offers the most comprehensive support for children of all ages, parents, and whole families, and the launch of Lyra Care for Teens builds on that leadership position. Lyra Care for Teens enables Lyra’s network of more than 6,500 evidence-based teen-specialized providers to support teens with valuable skill building in-between live sessions with mobile-optimized digital exercises and video lessons created specifically for and in collaboration with teens.

Supporting the mental well-being of teens requires a specialized approach. Lyra Care for Teens offers a teen-tailored experience with:

Evidence-based care: Lyra employs therapists who specialize in supporting teens and exclusively use clinically proven, evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents. These therapists are actively supported by clinical supervisors, including many teen specialists.
Guided practice sessions: Between live sessions, providers collaborate with teens on personalized digital lessons and exercises to support the development and retention of practical mental health skills. The mobile-optimized, age-appropriate, evidence-based digital lessons and exercises, developed in collaboration with Lyra’s clinical experts and a cohort of teens, feature immersive animation and short-form videos to resonate with teens.
Tailored assessments: Lyra uses teen-specific validated clinical measures, such as the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25), designed to assess symptom improvement in kids and teens. As the most clinically proven and validated mental health benefit, Lyra is committed to ensuring care leads to meaningful and measurable outcomes.

Lyra’s new therapy experience for teens will be available within the U.S. beginning June 2024.

A Growing Crisis That Impacts the Entire Family

Nearly 1 in 5 children suffer from a mental, emotional, or behavioral health disorder, yet 80% of these children do not receive care from a specialized mental health provider. With an average delay of 11 years between the onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment, coupled with the fact that half of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14, teenagers are unlikely to receive the specialized care they need until they reach the age of 25. This treatment gap is exacting a heavy toll on U.S. teens, as the suicide rate among children aged 10 to 14 has tripled.

“Untreated mental health challenges that arise in childhood and adolescence can escalate over time, resulting in a heightened vulnerability to severe mental health disorders like depression and substance use disorders in later years,” said Dr. Connie Chen, chief operating officer, Lyra Health. “There’s an urgent and growing need for early intervention during this critical phase of brain development. Since Lyra’s inception, providing timely access to evidence-based mental health care to support young people and their families has been a critical area of focus.”

Lyra's 2024 State of Workforce Mental Health report found that among the majority of U.S. employees who are caregivers, 55% are supporting a child under 18 with mental health issues. Of those parents, 1 in 3 reported a decline in their mental health while also experiencing more mental health impacts on the job compared to their peers.

"Our employees' mental health extends beyond our office walls. When a child struggles, the whole family does, too," said Andrew Gold, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, Pitney Bowes Inc. "Identifying and navigating the next steps is challenging, especially for parents without support or flexibility. Partnering with Lyra to provide access to high-quality mental health solutions and creating space for employees to use these resources is crucial for supporting their families and helping our people lead fulfilling personal and professional lives.”

Comprehensive Support for Whole-Family Mental Health

Lyra Care for Teens further expands Lyra’s comprehensive support for families and children of all ages. Lyra is introducing a new Family Hub to serve as a single place within Lyra’s platform to help parents and caregivers manage care for their dependents. Members will be able to navigate care options for family members as well as access personalized on-demand mental health resources. Other existing Lyra services available through the Family Hub include:

Access to a dedicated Care Navigator for timely expert guidance on all mental health family-related issues, including specialized support for parents of neurodiverse children
In-person and virtual evidence-based therapy and medication management for children 0-18 and family and couples counseling
Coaching for Parents to help caregivers better support themselves and their children with a combination of live sessions and guided practice lessons on topics including tantrums, improved communication, and quality time
On-demand courses and self-guided experiences to help parents find balance, parent by their values, reduce stress, and improve resilience

For more information about Lyra’s mental health offerings for whole families, visit Lyra’s blog here.

About Lyra Health

Lyra Health is the leading provider of Workforce Mental Health benefits, available to more than 17 million people globally. Lyra is transforming access to life-changing mental health care using AI-powered provider matching, personalized support, and a digital platform to deliver evidence-based support for individuals and teams. Lyra quickly connects members to the largest dedicated global network of evidenced-based mental health providers and well-being tools, to address every mental health need and deliver outstanding positive outcomes that are equitable across diverse racial and ethnic groups. Peer-reviewed published research confirms Lyra’s transformative care model helps people recover twice as fast and a 26% reduction in overall health care claims costs for participants annually. For more information about Lyra Health’s Workforce Mental Health benefits for employers, visit lyrahealth.com.