Study Finds Substantial Improvement in Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Under Talkiatry's Psychiatric Care

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Jan 11, 2024, 10:00 ET

One in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness, yet there's increasingly limited access to quality, affordable psychiatry services
New study demonstrates effectiveness of Talkiatry's telepsychiatry care model, with clinically meaningful outcomes for anxiety and depression symptoms and a 7-point reduction in severity scores
Treatment efficacy was comparable among rural and urban patients, indicating Talkiatry can help overcome treatment disparities that stem from geographical constraints

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Talkiatry, a leading provider of high-quality, in-network psychiatric care, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study showing that its patients experienced robust and clinically significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms. The study, "Evaluating Clinical Outcomes in Patients Being Treated Exclusively via Telepsychiatry: Retrospective Data Analysis," was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of Talkiatry's value-based telepsychiatry model and its potential to improve access to quality psychiatric care for people and communities in need.

More than one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, yet more than 160 million Americans live in areas with mental health professional shortages. Access to psychiatric care is especially dire, with a shortage of 21,000 adult psychiatrists predicted by 2030. Cost of treatment also prevents people from receiving care. 46% of those with mental illness report they cannot afford treatment, making in-network offerings, such as Talkiatry, critical.

After an average of five appointments over 15 weeks, Talkiatry's study showed 67% of patients no longer had clinically significant anxiety symptoms, and 62% no longer had clinically significant depression symptoms. In addition, the data showed 26% of patients with anxiety and 29% with depression achieved clinical remission of symptoms.

The study evaluated 1,826 treatment-seeking patients for clinically meaningful changes in one of two validated outcome measures of depression and anxiety: the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ8) or the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7 (GAD7). Patients were evaluated after receiving at least 8 weeks of treatment at Talkiatry, which provides outpatient telepsychiatry. Treatment included a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, supportive psychotherapy, and medication management.

"Establishing a trusting relationship between the provider and patient is absolutely critical in psychiatry. This study proves that a strong therapeutic alliance between the two can be created virtually, and that telepsychiatry providers like Talkiatry can help patients experiencing serious symptoms feel better quickly," said Georgia Gaveras, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Talkiatry. "Talkiatry's clinical model delivers positive outcomes while reducing cost of care, offering an alternative to the more intensive, more expensive options that produce similar results. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a value-based approach in telepsychiatry."

The study also found an average 7-point reduction in severity scores based on the GAD7 and PHQ8 questionnaires (a 5-point or 50% reduction is clinically significant). Treatment efficacy was also comparable among rural and urban patients, indicating that telepsychiatry is a promising approach to overcome the treatment disparities that stem from geographical constraints.

Review the full study here. For more information about Talkiatry, visit: talkiatry.com.

About the study
The study objective was to determine whether there was a clinically meaningful change in one of two validated outcome measures of depression and anxiety – the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ8) or the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7 (GAD7) – after receiving at least 8 weeks of treatment in an outpatient telepsychiatry setting. 1,826 treatment-seeking patients enrolled in a large outpatient telepsychiatry service that accepts commercial insurance; mean treatment duration was 103 days. All analyzed patients completed GAD7 and PHQ8 questionnaires prior to their first appointment and at least once after 8 weeks of treatment. Treatments included comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, supportive psychotherapy, and medication management.

About Talkiatry
Talkiatry is a national mental health practice that provides in-network psychiatry and therapy. They were co-founded by a patient and a triple-board-certified psychiatrist to solve the problems both groups face in accessing and providing the highest quality mental healthcare. 60% of adults in the U.S. with a diagnosable mental illness go untreated every year because care is inaccessible, while 45% of clinicians are out of network with insurers because reimbursement rates are low and paperwork is unduly burdensome. With innovative technology and a human-centered philosophy, Talkiatry provides patients with the care they need—and allows psychiatrists to focus on why they got into medicine. Learn more at www.talkiatry.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Talkiatry