The document discusses trends in mental health and behavioral health spending and treatment. It notes that pre-COVID spending on mental health exceeded that of heart conditions, and that the COVID pandemic significantly increased rates of mental illness. Telehealth adoption accelerated during the pandemic, expanding access to behavioral health services. Going forward, the focus is shifting from sick care to prevention and self-care through lifestyle changes, with the potential to significantly reduce healthcare costs by addressing the root causes of chronic diseases and conditions. Coaches, therapists, and specialized digital tools are expected to play a larger role in baseline resilience and lifestyle disease management.

1. The Future of Mental
and Behavioral Health
May 19

2. Pre-COVID mental health spend > than heart conditions

3. Circa 2000 - “New heights” for do-it-yourself pill popping
Valium
Xanax
Zoloft
Ritalin

4. Mental health drug market expands

5. COVID boost
Pre-COVID, 1 in 5 people struggled with mental illness.
COVID doubled that number to 2 in 5; Other studies show pandemic tripled the number of
Americans suffering from mental illness.
The percent of young adults 18-24 that considered suicide was 25 percent in 2020, more than
double from 2018.

6. Mental health drug market expands... again
2020: 1 in 3 Americans taking
antidepressants (had no history of use
6 months prior)
2013: 1 in 6 Americans taking
antidepressants

7. Silver lining...

8. COVID loosened regulation; forced adoption
Pre-pandemic:
2019, Less than 1% of doctor
visits were video visits
During pandemic
June 2020, 75% of doctor visits were
video visits
June 2020, 80% of doctors used
telehealth
2019, 22% of doctors used
telehealth at least once

9. Telehealth adoption accelerates to the present

10. Rise of behavioral and mental health

11. Growing awareness: Our behavior can move the needle
80% of chronic disease can be eliminated through a small number of
changes in our diet, exercise, sleep and prayer/meditation

12. Our behavior can reduce 80-90% of healthcare costs
Today: Avg family pays $20,000 annually
Imagine...
If avg family pays $2k annually?
How? By reversing conditions, eliminating costly drugs and their side effects; paying for support teams (coaches, tech)

13. Clinical Wellness
Coaches to Digital: wearables, VR, AR
Doctors to specialized clinicians
Lifestyle
disease
management
Baseline resilience
Coaches
therapists
doctors
psychiatrists
Pure
digital
Guided
activities
Schizophrenia
MDD; autism
Mental & Behavioral 2021
Substance
abuse
Rehab Anxiety, depression
Acquired by
UHC
New paradigm - Self-care
Sick-care:
‘Beds and meds’
Nutrition, sleep Self-actualizing
Alzheimer’s,
Dementia,
Parkinsons
Acquired by
Teladoc
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