Charlie Health

Exciting news from the Charlie Health team: We are thrilled to announce that Ashok Balakrishnan has joined us as our new Chief Technology Officer! Ashok joins at a pivotal moment as we scale our technology and AI strategy to meet the growing demand for high-acuity virtual behavioral healthcare. With over 25 years of experience, he brings a deep knowledge of building AI-enabled care models that bridge the gap between data and human-first healing. We’re grateful to have his leadership as we continue to build towards a world without suicide. Welcome to the team, Ashok! 🚀Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/eWrFAyhv 

Parallel court decisions in Los Angeles and New Mexico this week found social media platforms liable for harm to children. As the debate over accountability intensifies, we believe that the conversation must go deeper than courtroom verdicts to address a bigger question: what is social media actually doing to youth mental health? In pursuit of an answer, Charlie Health pulled together a clinical analysis of ~22,000 adolescents we’ve served and found that the answer to this question is extremely complex, and often misunderstood. What the data makes clear: 🔹 Difficulty limiting use predicts actual usage: Teens who always find it difficult to limit social media use average 9.3 hrs/day, nearly double the 5.1 hrs/day among those who never struggle. The gradient holds consistently across every response category with no exceptions. 🔹 Higher usage impacts and amplifies self-esteem: Time on social media doesn't simply harm self-esteem; it intensifies whatever direction the experience takes. Those reporting very negative self-esteem impact average 7.25 hrs/day; those reporting very positive impact average 6.82 hrs/day—both well above the neutral group (5.6 hrs/day). 🔹 Social media time shows a statistically significant but very small association with depression and anxiety symptoms: The vast majority of what drives depression and anxiety symptom severity has nothing to do with social media time as it explains less than 1% of the variance in both PHQ (depression) and GAD (anxiety) scores. Still, each additional hour of daily use is associated with a 0.12-point increase on the PHQ and 0.07-point increase on the GAD, holding age constant, and the relationship is reliable enough that it's unlikely to be a fluke. 🔹 Bipolar Disorders show the most chronic difficulty limiting use: 14.4% of adolescents with Bipolar Disorders always find it difficult to limit social media — nearly double the rate seen in Mood (9.5%) or Anxiety (8.4%) Disorders. This may reflect impulsivity during mood episodes. 🔹 For most teens, the impact is neutral: Nearly 40% report no effect on self-esteem at all, challenging the idea that social media is universally harmful. But, that doesn’t mean social media isn’t addictive. Research from JAMA Pediatrics and others reinforces our findings. Social media can fuel anxiety and compulsive use, but it also provides critical connection, particularly for marginalized youth looking for community. A "goldilocks zone" of ~2 hours/day appears to be a healthy balance. Our takeaway: social media use is not a binary issue of “good” or “bad.” It requires nuanced consideration of who’s using it, how they’re using it, and how much they’re using it, and boundaries must be set accordingly. No matter how the legal landscape evolves, our focus remains the same: helping young people navigate the digital world without sacrificing their mental health. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e3WhCVZs 

Cortisol has become a wellness buzzword, but it can also be a major driver of mental health. Conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD can trigger this "stress hormone," causing lasting effects on well-being. That’s why we spoke to Charlie Health clinicians about the best ways to lower cortisol naturally and keep your mental health in check. Read all about these 8 therapist-approved tips for how to lower cortisol on our blog. 📖 https://lnkd.in/e9-dHTXe

New Yorkers now have an easier way to learn about behavioral health treatment options and their rights to this care. Governor Kathy Hochul recently launched a campaign to educate New Yorkers about the state’s mental health and substance use treatment offerings and their rights to these services. For example, people with qualifying health plans must receive timely appointments and out-of-network coverage at no extra cost when in-network care isn’t available. At Charlie Health, we’re grateful to see information about—and access to—urgently-needed behavioral healthcare services expanded. We’re also proud to serve clients in New York and offer in-network care that starts in as little as 24 hours. 💙Get started with Charlie Health: https://lnkd.in/ekpG9ksV 🗽Learn more about NY’s behavioral healthcare options: https://lnkd.in/e96wHYEu

Harm. Psychosis. Suicide. These are some of the allegations raised against artificial intelligence in a growing body of legal cases. The Wall Street Journal reported on the latest of these wrongful death suits, which claims that the AI chatbot Gemini set a suicide countdown clock for Jonathan Gavalas, 36. His father described Jonathan to the WSJ as “someone who loved life and found humor in everything.” These lawsuits are a tragic reminder that AI is never a replacement for professional help or human connection for people in crisis. If you are struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please reach out to Charlie Health, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or another trusted resource. 📰 https://lnkd.in/e6yKzsXA

When Alex, a single dad in Oregon, left the emergency room after a mental health crisis, he faced an impossible choice: leave his daughter for weeks of inpatient treatment or go home without enough support. Then a healthcare provider told him about Charlie Health. Through Charlie Health’s virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Alex found a way to receive intensive care at home while still being there for his daughter. Watch the video below to hear Alex’s story and read our latest blog to see how Charlie Health is closing the care gap for patients across Oregon. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eam4D2gF 

At Charlie Health, we measure success by the progress our clients make. Our 2025 Outcomes Report is now live, and it highlights the real impact of that work. Last year, Charlie Health clients saw meaningful improvements in their mental and behavioral health symptoms—findings that held true across ages and identities. Every data point represents a client who made life-changing gains, a family who found their way back to each other, and a clinician who showed up with unwavering support. Dr. Caroline Fenkel, LCSW, our Chief Clinical Officer and Co-Founder, said it best: “These outcomes show what is possible when connection, clinical expertise, and timely treatment come together.” Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gPMs9n8b  Read our blog with other key insights here: https://lnkd.in/gHjnNess

This Behavioral Health Business story by Ashleigh Hollowell, M.S., “GLP-1s May Be the Next Frontier in Behavioral Health, But Payment Hurdles Remain,” highlights the potential for GLP-1 medications to support treatment for addiction and eating disorders, beyond the current use for diabetes and weight management. Charlie Health’s Senior Medical Director Dr. Eli Muhrer, MD shares how our team is thoughtfully preparing to introduce GLP-1 medications in phases, starting with alcohol use disorder, while prioritizing patient safety, affordability, and strong care transitions to support ongoing monitoring. As the behavioral health field evolves, expanding access to innovative, evidence-based tools alongside therapy is key to helping more people receive the comprehensive care they deserve. Read more here: http://bit.ly/4snUyYZ

Talk of genetics often conjures images of eye and hair color, but genes also play a critical role in our mental health. Take depression, one of the most common mental health conditions worldwide, which research shows has a genetic component. “We have not yet identified a specific ‘depression gene,’ but depression does tend to run in families,” explains Charlie Health Primary Therapist Kathleen D., LCPC in our recent article on the topic. Read the full piece to learn more about what a family history of depression really means for your risk, and when to seek support. 📖 https://lnkd.in/esjXD3cc

Far too many young people die by suicide without ever receiving support from the systems meant to help them. A recent study of national data, led by Children's Hospital Colorado, found that nearly half of youth who died by suicide hadn’t received mental healthcare before or had known suicide risks. This sobering finding prompted experts to identify five distinct patterns of suicide risk in youth, around which they recommend tailoring youth suicide prevention efforts. That’s exactly the approach taken at Charlie Health, where we offer dedicated mental healthcare services for children ages 8-11, teens ages 12-17, and adults ages 18-64. 📰https://lnkd.in/eesd2QHz