The pandemic brought mental health to the forefront of the public mind, as waiting lists for therapists grew longer and apps like Better Help and Cerebral became increasingly popular. Now, large pharmaceutical retailers are investigating how they can provide services to address these needs.
The Houston market has also been identified as a place that can benefit from these services, according to the 2022 Healthcare Outlook Study conducted by CVS Health this month. In Houston, 53 percent of those surveyed said a loved one’s mental health was a “high-to-moderate stressor,” compared to 42 percent nationally.
Forty-five percent of women in Houston said mental health services would be helpful and would use services if available, compared to 40 percent nationally.
CVS began offering mental health and behavioral health services as part of a pilot program early last year, and Houston was one of the first markets in spring 2021. There are 13 locations in the Houston area offering mental health services. mental.
Pharmacy-licensed social workers at select locations to provide mental health services. After an initial evaluation, a licensed therapist will create an individualized plan of care. It could include virtual or in-person counseling sessions at the clinic or through referral to other resources.
Any in-person sessions take place in a separate room from the rest of the store. Joel Helle, vice president of medical services for CVS, said he thinks more people are starting to see the retailer as more than just a pharmacy.
“The stores are set up much more to be the kind of first step to health care,” Helle said, “as opposed to being a convenience store where you go for toilet paper and other kinds of things.”
CVS isn’t the only major retailer providing virtual mental health services. In May 2021, WalMart announced that it acquired MeMD, a telehealth provider of medical and mental health services to millions of people across the country.
Even before the pandemic, public health officials were well aware of the mental health crisis. Suicidal behaviors among high school students increased during the decade before the pandemic, with 19 percent considering attempting suicide, up from 36 percent from 2009 to 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Then, in late 2021, the US surgeon general issued a statement that young adults were facing a “mental health crisis” as a result of the pandemic.
