Global virtual care provider Teladoc Health, in collaboration with Brightline, has launched comprehensive mental healthcare services for children, adolescents, and their families.

This service is accessible through Teladoc Health's virtual platform, called ‘front door’.

It is designed to streamline the connection between members and specialised mental healthcare providers, including those specially trained in delivering paediatric, adolescent, and family mental health services.

The collaboration aims to support individuals under the age of 18 and their caregivers, addressing a broad spectrum of mental health conditions.

By simplifying the contracting and management process, Teladoc Health and Brightline seek to make it easier for clients to obtain a complete mental healthcare solution.

According to Teladoc Health, the field of paediatric and adolescent mental healthcare currently faces significant challenges, including a shortage of trained providers, with only 14 psychiatrists available per 100,000 children.

The company cited studies that indicate that 60% of parents are uncertain about where to find mental health support while 50% lack referrals for treatment and 40% of adolescents contact over four in-network providers before securing an appointment.

Furthermore, more than half of the children with treatable mental health disorders are not receiving the necessary treatment.

All these barriers further hinder access to care and affect the outcomes for children, adding stress to parents seeking quality healthcare for their children, Teladoc Health noted.

Additionally, paediatric mental health issues contribute to the rising total cost of care for both children and their families.

Teladoc Health’s family-centric approach to mental healthcare is designed to fill the current market gap in paediatric care.

The programme also facilitates a seamless transition for users into the broader Teladoc Health ecosystem once they reach adulthood.

Teladoc Health chief medical officer Dr Vidya Raman-Tangella said: “As part of our unwavering commitment to deliver trusted care across the ages and stages of life, we are proud to expand mental health support for this age group and tap into Brightline’s comprehensive and responsive model of care, network of specialists, and robust digital platform to provide this extremely vital service to our clients and members.”