Virtual health care has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and new data indicates digital tools targeting the behavioral health needs of children and teenagers are no exception, Morning Consult reports.
The mental well-being of young people has long been a concern, given there are few pediatric mental health specialists in the United States, leaving long waiting lists for care and a growing number of kids sent to the emergency room in crisis. The pandemic has only exacerbated those challenges, prompting the surgeon general to call late last year for a “swift and coordinated response” to the youth mental health crisis. Now, digital health companies are stepping up.
Venture capital funding for digital behavioral health tools for children and teens, which also include those tackling issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, ballooned to $919 million in 2021, up from $54 million in 2017 and more than double the amount raised in 2020. Read more.
