Combatting the Teen Mental Health Crisis

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the growing mental health crisis among teenagers, particularly the high rates of suicide attempts and depression. It introduces Marble Health, a startup founded by former Headway executives, that aims to address this issue by providing virtual group therapy for teens through school counselors. The article also highlights the various technological and societal shifts that are impacting mental health, both positively and negatively, and how Marble Health is positioned to leverage these changes.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Youth Mental Health Crisis

1. What are some of the alarming statistics related to teen mental health?

• 1 in 10 teens attempted suicide last year
• 20% of teens have seriously considered suicide, with the rate being higher among teen girls (about 1 in 3)
• Nearly 1 in 5 teenagers and young adults experienced a major depressive episode in the last year, which is three times the rate of people aged 26 and up

2. Which groups are disproportionately affected by the teen mental health crisis?

• Girls
• People of color
• LGBTQ+ population

3. What are some of the systemic challenges that make it difficult for teens to access mental health care?

• Acute provider shortages
• Low insurance participation
• Long waitlists for community mental health services

[02] Marble Health

1. What is Marble Health's approach to addressing the teen mental health crisis?

• Marble focuses on providing virtual group therapy, which has been shown to be as effective as individual therapy while allowing them to scale capacity and serve multiple teens at once.
• Marble partners with school counselors, who can refer students to Marble, knowing that the student will receive care within a matter of days.
• Marble provides timely updates to counselors and parents on the progress of the teen's care, engaging the various adults in the teen's life.
• Marble accepts all insurances, including Medicaid, to make care affordable and accessible for all families.

2. What are the key features of Marble Health's business model?

• Counselors refer students to Marble, which facilitates virtual care through its network of providers.
• Marble bills payers (insurance, Medicaid, etc.), who reimburse Marble.
• Marble then pays the providers.
• The unit economics of group therapy are more compelling than individual therapy, and Marble can scale its supply of providers more quickly to meet demand.

3. What are Marble Health's plans for growth and expansion?

• Marble is currently live in dozens of schools across New York.
• In May, Marble launched its second set of groups, focusing on middle school anxiety.
• The plan is to add hundreds more schools and thousands more groups in the next year, and then expand nationally.

[03] The Broader Context

1. What are some of the tectonic shifts that are impacting mental health and creating opportunities for innovation?

• Increased telehealth adoption, improving access to care
• Improved insurance coverage for mental healthcare
• Eroding cultural stigmas around mental health, particularly among younger generations
• Worsening mental health due to factors like climate change, social media, and income inequality

2. How does Marble Health fit into Daybreak's investment thesis?

• Daybreak (the author's investment firm) is interested in companies that are building along major technological and behavioral shifts, which they refer to as "tectonic shifts".
• Marble Health is the kind of technology company that Daybreak wants to work with, as it is addressing the pressing issue of teen mental health, which is a key challenge for the next generation.