Online therapy apps have become a popular solution to mental-health care, but can they replace the traditional visit to a therapist's office?

At the height of the pandemic, the Government of Ontario thought that an app for therapy could be solution to help people struggling through the mental-health crisis - but were they too quick to inject $1-million a month into MindBeacon? Two years later, tens of thousands of users were left without access to online counselling as the government pulled the majority of its financial support from the program.

Why did the government invest so much money in the program only to take it away? What does it mean if young people lean on their phones to feel better? How can youth know where to turn for trusted sources on mental- health advice when there is so much competing online content promising to empower consumers? (Read: therapy TikTok and mental-health Instagram)

How do we navigate the world of online mental health?

Host Tiffany Lam reports on online mental health for youth, including why the province spent so much money on an app that ended up being defunded two years later, the changes one researcher proposes to strengthen online solutions for digital health care, and speaks with one therapist about how her content on TikTok is just as important as other digital solutions.

Read the transcript here: https://www.tvo.org/article/what-happens-when-your-therapist-is-an-app

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If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support:

Wellness Together Canada

https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA

To connect with a mental health professional one-on-one:
call 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth
call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults

Kids Help Phone

Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.

The Government of Ontario’s Mental Health Support Resources

https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

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Online therapy apps have become a popular solution to mental-health care, but can they replace the traditional visit to a therapist's office? At the height of the pandemic, the Government of Ontario thought that an app for therapy could be solution to help people struggling through the mental-health crisis - but were they too quick to inject $1-million a month into MindBeacon? Two years later, tens of thousands of users were left without access to online counselling as the government pulled the majority of its financial support from the program. Why did the government invest so much money in the program only to take it away? What does it mean if young people lean on their phones to feel better? How can youth know where to turn for trusted sources on mental- health advice when there is so much competing online content promising to empower consumers? (Read: therapy TikTok and mental-health Instagram) How do we navigate the world of online mental health? Host Tiffany Lam reports on online mental health for youth, including why the province spent so much money on an app that ended up being defunded two years later, the changes one researcher proposes to strengthen online solutions for digital health care, and speaks with one therapist about how her content on TikTok is just as important as other digital solutions.
Read the transcript <a href="https://www.tvo.org/article/what-happens-when-your-therapist-is-an-app">here</a>: <a href="https://www.tvo.org/article/what-happens-when-your-therapist-is-an-app">https://www.tvo.org/article/what-happens-when-your-therapist-is-an-app</a>
***
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support:
Wellness Together Canada
<a href="https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA">https://www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA</a>
To connect with a mental health professional one-on-one:
<ul>
<li>call 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth</li>
<li>call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults</li>
</ul>
Kids Help Phone
Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.
The Government of Ontario’s Mental Health Support Resources
<a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support">https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support</a>
--
Donate to TVO: <a href="http://tvo.org/give">http://tvo.org/give</a>
Stay up to date with what’s happening in Ontario: <a href="https://www.tvo.org/">https://www.tvo.org/</a>
Listen to other TVO podcasts: <a href="https://www.tvo.org/podcasts">https://www.tvo.org/podcasts</a>
Follow TVO on social media:
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theagendatvo">https://www.instagram.com/wearetvo/</a>
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Canadian youth are living through what professionals are calling a mental health crisis. Is this crisis unique to the current generation coming of age? Or are we finally acknowledging mental health in more nuanced ways? In partnership with the Investigative Journalism Bureau and the Toronto Star, In Our Heads sheds light on this urgent public health issue through the stories of young people with lived experiences, as well as policy experts and professionals hoping to support them. Hosted by Tiffany Lam.

Canadian youth are living through what professionals are calling a mental health crisis. Is this crisis unique to the current generation coming of age? Or are we finally acknowledging mental health in more nuanced ways? In partnership with the Investigative Journalism Bureau and the Toronto Star, In Our Heads sheds light on this urgent public health issue through the stories of young people with lived experiences, as well as policy experts and professionals hoping to support them. Hosted by Tiffany Lam.

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