Study shows Amwell's SilverCloud reduced mental disorder rates among students

Amwell (NYSE: AMWL) reported results from an independently conducted study published in Nature Human Behaviour that examined its SilverCloud digital behavioral health platform. The National Institute of Mental Health-funded randomized trial involved 6,205 students across 26 U.S. colleges and universities who were at clinical or high-risk levels for anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

The study used a proactive care model, screening nearly 40,000 students and offering support to those at elevated risk rather than waiting for students to seek care independently. Researchers found that students offered SilverCloud had a 74.4% participation rate compared to 30.2% for traditional behavioral health solutions.

Students who received digital behavioral healthcare through SilverCloud showed lower prevalence rates of mental disorders compared to those referred to in-person care: 4.3% lower at six weeks, 4.9% lower at six months, and 3.8% lower at two years. The positive outcomes were consistent across different student populations, including minoritized students and those experiencing financial stress.

"Our goal was early detection of those at risk or meeting clinical levels for five mental health conditions, and to test whether digital mental health could move care upstream — reaching people earlier, before symptoms worsen, and doing so at population scale," said Principal Investigator Michelle G. Newman, a professor at Penn State University.

Co-investigator Daniel Eisenberg from UCLA noted that the 3.8% lower prevalence of mental disorders at two years could translate to approximately $1.18 million in avoided mental health-related costs within the study sample.

The research was led by investigators from Washington University, Penn State University, and University of California, Los Angeles. The findings were based on information from the company's press release.

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