Pittsburgh-based UPMC has developed a digital app the health system says has been effective in reducing anxiety and depression in teens and young adults.
The RxWell app, which was created by UPMC Health Plan to support members with depression and other health challenges, offers real-time coping techniques and access to personal health coaches.
Of 278 patients aged 16 to 22 who enrolled to use the prescribed app, 58 percent engaged with it and 63 percent messaged their coach, with 73 percent of users seeing a reduction in anxiety and 57 percent experiencing a drop in depression, according to a preliminary study from UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh researchers published Sept. 27 in Psychiatric Services.
"Our project lays the groundwork for studies that can explore how such apps can improve access to mental healthcare, improve efficiency of clinical workflow, and prevent worsening of mental conditions in sustainable and reimbursable ways," said Eva Szigethy, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry, pediatrics and medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and director of behavioral health at UPMC, in an Oct. 10 UPMC news release.
Thanks to an additional $1.24 million gift from the youth mental health nonprofit YourMomCares, the researchers plan to expand the study to more patients across a larger geographic area and focus on suicidal ideation.