New Study Finds that Digital Health Interventions May Be Helpful to Address Mental Health Symptoms in Children with a History of Trauma

96.3% of children with posttraumatic stress had improved symptoms after receiving care from Bend Health

MADISON, Wis., (February 29, 2024) - Bend Health, Inc. ("Bend"), a national provider of pediatric mental health care for children, teens, and families, today announced the findings of a new study demonstrating that digital mental health tools may help address posttraumatic stress symptoms in children with a history of trauma. Published in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, the findings deliver compelling evidence that collaborative digital mental health interventions may be well-suited to address mental health symptoms in children with a history of trauma, while also highlighting the critical need to assess symptoms of post-traumatic stress in children seeking treatment.

Key findings from the study include: 

• 96.3% Improvement in Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: The study, spanning nine months from January 2023 to October 2023, reveals that 96.3% of children with posttraumatic stress experienced improvement in symptoms while in care with Bend Health, suggesting that collaborative care digital mental health interventions can play a pivotal role in addressing trauma-related symptoms in children.

• Trauma’s Impact on Mental Health: Out of the children receiving care from Bend, 30.2% reported experiencing at least one traumatic event, with 40.8% of them exhibiting lasting symptoms of posttraumatic stress. These children, characterized by higher rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms, received targeted care that led to notable improvements in their mental health.

• Demographic Insights: Children with posttraumatic stress were observed to be older and more likely to be female than their counterparts with no trauma exposure. These demographic insights provide valuable context for understanding the prevalence and characteristics of posttraumatic stress in pediatric populations.

"More than two-thirds of U.S. children and adolescents encounter trauma by age 16, linking early-life trauma to enduring negative mental health outcomes. There is a critical need to assess symptoms of posttraumatic stress in children seeking treatment and address them and intervene early,” said Dr. Monika Roots, Co-Founder and President at Bend Health. “These findings provide compelling evidence that collaborative digital mental health interventions are highly effective in addressing mental health symptoms in children with a history of trauma.” 

This study reinforces Bend Health's commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based care and highlights the potential of digital mental health interventions in leading to improved pediatric mental health outcomes.

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About Bend Health, Inc. 

Bend Health, Inc., a national provider of pediatric mental health care services for children and families, is on a mission to improve access and reduce the cost of high-quality, expert mental health care. Bend is revolutionizing treatment through its unique collaborative care model that includes coaches, therapists, and psychiatric providers who work with families to provide comprehensive, personalized care plans that help children feel better today, and thrive tomorrow. Through measurement-based care, Bend achieves better outcomes, supporting happier and healthier kids and families, with seven peer-reviewed published studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the model. Bend’s services cover over 20 million kids through partnerships with leading insurers, employers, and health systems, and self-pay. For more information, visit www.BendHealth.com  

About JMIR Publications 

JMIR Publications is a leading, born-digital, open access publisher of 30+ academic journals and other innovative scientific communication products that focus on the intersection of health and technology. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting (JPP, ISSN: 2561-6722, Impact Factor 3.7)is an open access journal. JPP has a unique focus on technologies, medical devices, apps, engineering, informatics applications for patient/parent education, training, counselling, behavioral interventions, preventative interventions and clinical care for pediatric and adolescent populations or child-parent dyads. JPP recognizes the role of patient- and parent-centered approaches in the 21st century using information and communication technologies to optimize pediatric and adolescent health outcomes.