Charlie Health Demonstrates Evidence-Based Approach to High-Acuity Mental Healthcare with JMIR Publications

BOZEMAN, Mont., July 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Charlie Health, the leading provider of virtual high-acuity mental healthcare for teens and young adults, today announced the recent publication of four peer-reviewed studies in JMIR Formative Research. Amid a national youth mental health crisis and a lack of adequate care options, the latest research demonstrates the industry-leading efficacy of Charlie Health’s Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for those most at risk.

“The recent findings published in JMIR reaffirm that with the right data-backed mental health solution, healing is possible for everyone,” said Dr. Caroline Fenkel, LCSW, Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer at Charlie Health. “Charlie Health’s Virtual IOP is evidence-based and optimized via continuous evaluation, ensuring successful treatment outcomes and improved mental well-being for our patients.”

Key Research Findings:

• According to a quality improvement assessment, patients who completed Charlie Health’s Virtual IOP experienced a significant reduction in symptoms associated with depression. Upon finishing the program, more than half of patients no longer met the clinical criteria for major depressive disorder.
• Findings from a quality improvement analysis suggest participation in family therapy, a core offering of Charlie Health’s Virtual IOP, contributed to lower dropout and better attendance in treatment. Specifically, patients who participated in family therapy remained in treatment for an average of two additional weeks and had a 40% higher treatment completion rate compared with their peers who did not participate in family therapy.
• A subgroup analysis of Charlie Health’s LGBTQIA+ patients shows that 70% of those who reported active suicidal ideation at intake no longer experienced it at discharge. Findings indicate Charlie Health’s personalized identity-affirming programming likely contributes to improved outcomes for this patient population.
• A qualitative analysis suggests patients value functional improvements in their lives, such as their ability to attend school or socialize with friends, in addition to the more commonly-measured clinical improvements like PHQ-9 scores. Charlie Health takes functional improvements into account when measuring treatment success.

For more information about Charlie Health and its research and clinical outcomes, please visit www.charliehealth.com/intensive-outpatient-iop/outcomes.

About Charlie Health
Charlie Health is transforming the treatment landscape for teens and young adults with complex and acute mental health challenges by offering a level of care in between traditional once-weekly therapy and inpatient treatment. Since being founded in 2020 in Bozeman, Montana, Charlie Health has established itself as the leading provider of virtual intensive outpatient programming (IOP) across 24 states. Clients have access to facilitated peer groups, individual therapy, and family therapy virtually through most commercial insurance and Medicaid plans. To learn more about Charlie Health, visit charliehealth.com.