Mental health benefits provider Lyra Health announced new tools to help customers address suicidality, alcohol use disorder and other complex care needs.

The new tools will be available at the beginning of 2022. Lyra Reset, a treatment program for alcoholism, uses virtual therapy, group sessions, symptom assessments, peer support, digital lessons that teach coping skills and medication for cravings.

Lyra's Blended Care Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Suicidality combines virtual therapy and skill-building lessons, and gives access to a 24/7 crisis-support team. 

Lyra Concierge helps users and their families find higher levels of mental healthcare, like higher-intensity outpatient support or rehabilitation facilities. 

"Individuals facing serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders have less access to care and resources than those with mild mental health issues," Dr. Connie Chen, chief operating officer at Lyra Health, said in a statement.

"Our newest AUD and other complex care offerings build on our existing specialty solutions to close a critical gap in mental healthcare, supporting a population that has historically been underserved due to the complexity and cost of care required to drive meaningful improvement.

"Lyra is proud to offer effective care options to leading employers dedicated to supporting their people and their families, regardless of where they are on the mental health spectrum."

WHY IT MATTERS

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a serious impact on Americans’ mental health.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report using data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, four in 10 adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic, compared with only one in 10 adults who reported those symptoms from January to June 2019.

Many Americans also said they were drinking more during the pandemic. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found 60% of participants reported drinking more during the pandemic compared to pre-COVID-19. More than 45% of those who reported drinking more said it was due to increased stress.

THE LARGER TREND

In June, Lyra announced it had closed a $200 million funding round led by Coatue. That round built on a $187 million Series E round from January, a $110 million Series D from August 2020 and a $75 million Series C from March 2020.

At the time of its most recent funding round, a Lyra spokesperson said the company’s total amount raised was $680 million, and Lyra was valued at $4.2 billion.

Other digital mental health companies include Ginger Health, which recently announced plans to merge with meditation app Headspace, Modern Health, Happify Health and Unmind.