For years, the United States has faced a persistent shortage of behavioral health professionals. Access to therapy, psychiatry, and counseling has long been uneven, with rural and underserved areas hit especially hard. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened the crisis. Rising rates of depression, anxiety, grief, and stress have collided with an already strained system, leaving millions of Americans struggling to find care when they need it most.
In response to these challenges, behavioral health startup Quartet Health has partnered with SilverCloud Health, a digital mental health company based in Boston. Together, they aim to expand access to evidence-based mental health solutions through computerized therapy. This collaboration leverages technology to bridge the gap between demand and supply in behavioral health, providing new pathways for care delivery during an unprecedented public health crisis.
The Growing Mental Health Crisis Amid COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly impacted the nation’s mental health. Social isolation, job loss, and the grief of losing loved ones have left many Americans reporting elevated stress levels. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that by April 2020, 45% of U.S. adults said the pandemic had negatively affected their mental health, a sharp increase from just one month earlier.
These trends coincide with a nationwide shortage of providers. A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine revealed that 65% of non-metropolitan U.S. counties do not have a single psychiatrist, and nearly half lack even one psychologist. The result is a system where demand for services far exceeds supply, forcing many people to go without care entirely.
This environment highlights the urgent need for scalable, innovative solutions that can deliver quality mental health support outside of traditional in-person models. That’s where the Quartet-SilverCloud partnership steps in.
How Quartet Health Uses Technology to Improve Access
Quartet Health, headquartered in New York City, has built its model around connecting patients with the right behavioral health resources at the right time. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, the company helps identify patient needs and then matches individuals with appropriate care providers or programs.
The addition of SilverCloud’s computerized therapy strengthens Quartet’s national network, giving patients access to digital programs that can be used from virtually anywhere. Instead of relying solely on clinicians to deliver treatment, SilverCloud provides self-guided therapy modules based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). These programs are accessible via smartphone, tablet, computer, or even a smartwatch, making them highly flexible for patients navigating busy schedules or remote living situations.
By integrating SilverCloud into its platform, Quartet is expanding its ability to offer immediate, evidence-based support to individuals who might otherwise face long wait times or insurmountable logistical barriers to care.
SilverCloud’s Evidence-Based Digital Therapy
Founded in Boston, SilverCloud Health specializes in computerized cognitive behavioral therapy. Its programs are clinically validated and designed to treat a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, stress, grief, insomnia, and chronic illness-related distress.
What makes SilverCloud unique is its focus on outcomes. Research cited in the company’s press release notes that up to 85% of SilverCloud users experience improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms, while 65% show clinically significant progress. These results are considered comparable to those achieved through traditional, face-to-face therapy.
The digital nature of SilverCloud’s platform offers additional benefits. Patients can access therapy at any time, in private, and without the stigma that sometimes accompanies visiting a mental health clinic. This flexibility is particularly valuable during COVID-19, when travel and in-person interactions are limited.
Addressing Barriers to Care
The shortage of mental health providers has long been one of the greatest obstacles to expanding access. SilverCloud’s digital therapy helps address this issue by offering scalable solutions that do not require one-to-one clinician involvement. While traditional therapy is constrained by the availability of trained professionals, computerized CBT can reach thousands of patients simultaneously.
Additionally, digital therapy reduces common barriers such as travel time, cost, and scheduling conflicts. For individuals living in rural areas, where behavioral health specialists may be hours away, this can mean the difference between receiving timely care and going without treatment altogether.
Quartet CEO David Wennberg emphasized this point in the partnership announcement: “The United States faces a significant shortage of providers, and clinically-validated digital mental health care options are an important way to help people get the care they need.”
Care for Our Caregivers: A Partnership in Action
Although this new national partnership between Quartet and SilverCloud was announced in August 2020, the two companies had already been working together earlier in the year. In April, they launched the Care for Our Caregivers initiative, offering free access to SilverCloud’s computerized CBT programs for mental health and primary care providers in Quartet’s network.
The initiative was created in response to the heightened stress and burnout experienced by health care workers during the COVID-19 emergency. By giving providers tools to manage their own mental health, Quartet and SilverCloud recognized that supporting caregivers was essential to maintaining the broader health care system during a global crisis.
The Role of Investment and Growth
Quartet Health has positioned itself as a leader in tech-enabled behavioral health. Since its founding in 2014, the company has raised more than $160 million in venture funding from notable investors such as Centene Corporation, Oak HC/FT, and GV (formerly Google Ventures).
This strong financial backing has allowed Quartet to expand its network, enhance its technology, and pursue partnerships like the one with SilverCloud. As demand for digital behavioral health solutions continues to rise, Quartet is likely to remain at the forefront of this transformation.
SilverCloud, too, has emerged as a major player in digital mental health. Its clinically validated approach and broad library of condition-specific programs make it an attractive partner for organizations looking to scale access to behavioral care. Together, the two companies represent a model of how traditional health care challenges can be addressed with innovative, tech-driven solutions.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Digital Behavioral Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated trends that were already underway in the behavioral health sector. Telehealth adoption, digital therapy platforms, and virtual care coordination have all seen explosive growth in 2020. For many patients and providers, these changes are here to stay.
Quartet’s partnership with SilverCloud underscores the potential of digital-first solutions to transform mental health care. By providing evidence-based therapy that is accessible anytime and anywhere, this collaboration addresses some of the most pressing issues in the U.S. behavioral health system: provider shortages, geographic disparities, and stigma.
As the nation continues to grapple with the long-term mental health effects of the pandemic, innovations like computerized CBT will likely play a central role in ensuring more people receive the care they need.
Conclusion
The partnership between Quartet Health and SilverCloud Health marks an important milestone in the evolution of digital behavioral health. By combining Quartet’s technology-driven care coordination with SilverCloud’s proven computerized therapy programs, the two organizations are expanding access to mental health support during a time of unprecedented demand.
While challenges remain, including aligning digital solutions with regulatory frameworks and integrating them into traditional care systems, the benefits are undeniable. More people are receiving effective treatment in a convenient, private, and scalable way. For patients, providers, and the broader health care system, this represents a step forward in addressing one of the nation’s most urgent health care challenges.
