England has become the first country to offer no-cost talk therapy to their people. No-cost phone talk therapy is funded by the National Health Service and is a hotline available for unlimited phone therapy sessions. The hope from this program is that they will be able to create a primary mental healthcare system that gives access to those in rural communities throughout Great Britain. This no-cost talk phone therapy program began 2013 in London and now works with nearly one million people each year.
Negative stigma in the UK has kept many people from receiving the proper mental healthcare. With this new system in place, the importance of proper mental healthcare is becoming a topic of open discussion. Even Prince William himself has released videos explaining his mental health struggles after the passing of his mother. The people of Great Britain are embracing the importance of mental healthcare and working toward access for all, although there is still a ways to go.
No-cost talk therapy is beginning to be more widely used throughout England. With this increased demand for therapists, there is a lack of therapists trained for phone talk therapy. While therapists are being trained, supply is not increasing fast enough to keep up with the new found demand.
Online healthcare technology could help with the increasing demand for mental healthcare access throughout the UK and around the globe. The fact that there are so many people reaching out for talk therapy shows there is an unmet need for mental healthcare.
Online and phone mental health services have shown to be appealing to young men in particular, which is a large population not currently accessing mental health services. Breaking down the stigma of mental health will not only improve the quality of care people will receive but improve the quality of life for those who suffer from mental illness.
England is taking strides to make this important service accessible to their entire population. Telehealth plays an important role. If telehealth services are something you are interested in adding to your practice, check out clocktree.com to get started.
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