Amplifying Unheard Voices: Limbix successfully advocates for adolescent mental health providers on Capitol Hill

Limbix assembled a diverse team of providers, parents, and patients to visit Capitol Hill and champion the importance of digital therapeutics for adolescent mental health.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Limbix, a digital therapeutics (DTx) developer for adolescent mental health, led an advocacy effort on Capitol Hill to raise awareness for the current youth mental health crisis and the importance of digital treatment options. During the two days, Limbix engaged with twelve advisors, directors, correspondents, representatives, and chiefs of staff: Kripa Sreepada (Senate Finance), Ryan Long (Speaker McCarthy), Stuart Portman (Senate Finance), Erin Doty (Rep. Ruiz), Lilly Walsh (Sen. Cornyn), Sarah Schmidt (Sen. Thune), Rep. DeSaulnier, Daniel Zawitoski (Rep. Peters), Max Seifert (Sen. Merkley), Nikki Oka (Aging Committee/Sen. Casey), Blake Thelander (Rep. Miller-Meeks), and Rob Hicks (Rep. Obernolte).

 The providers that attended engage with diverse communities across the country and have real-world experience offering SparkRx, Limbix's digital therapeutic for adolescent depression. The team was also accompanied by Simone, a 15-year-old adolescent user of SparkRx, and her father, Terry, providing a tangible example of the positive impact DTx can have on youth mental health. "The feeling of knowing that I'm helping other teens through talking about my own mental health experiences is incredibly rewarding," said Simone, "it was a life-changing experience."

Depression is the most common mental health disorder among adolescents in the United States. Feelings of persistent sadness, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal behaviors increased by roughly 40% among young people in the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, per the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. "As a parent and a member of the academic community, the biggest challenge our youth face following the pandemic is the limitations in mental health resources," Terry, who is also a professional/college athletic administrator, explains, "Digital therapeutics provide a viable and universal solution to addressing the needs of mental health within our community." Through evidence-based treatment options on accessible electronic devices, digital therapeutics can improve outcomes for young people with mental health challenges.

By amplifying the voice of adolescents struggling with mental health and the providers caring for them, Limbix's advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill have shed light on the need for expanded access to digital treatment options, offering a path forward for lawmakers to better aid the American youth. "The team is encouraged by the receptiveness of lawmakers and their staff to our message," says Dr. Benjamin Alouf, Chief Medical Officer at Limbix. "We're excited that our efforts will lead to greater awareness and access to digital therapeutics for young people in need."

About Limbix Health, Inc

Limbix is on a mission to make mental health treatment accessible to young people who need it the most when they need it the most. Limbix's diverse team of clinicians, product designers, researchers, and engineers are uniquely suited for developing mental health technology, as they understand the value of combining clinical expertise with technological innovation. The team focuses on giving young people access to affordable, effective behavioral health care by building safe and evidence-based treatment options that providers can offer their patients. Through extensive research, Limbix built their first digital therapeutic, SparkRx, that delivers CBT-based treatment for teen depression directly to users' smartphones.

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SparkRx Safety Information
SparkRx is a digital therapeutic intended to provide a neurobehavioral intervention (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Behavioral Activation) in patients 13 to 22 years of age as adjunct treatment for symptoms of depression.

SparkRx has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. SparkRx is not for emergency use. SparkRx is not meant to be used as treatment without supervision of a health care provider. SparkRx is not meant to be a substitution for any treatment or medication. SparkRx does not address concerns of active suicidal ideation with intent. SparkRx is not intended for the prevention of suicide attempts or self-harm behaviors. For more safety information about SparkRx, visit sparkrx.com to learn more. Complete SparkRx safety information can be found here.

SOURCE Limbix