A Subscription Prescription To Boost Mental Health Accessibility (PYMNTS.com)

Mental illness affects roughly one in five Americans, but about a third of the U.S. population lives in areas underserved by mental health professionals. That’s a problem that can take solution cues from music and meal kit mobile subscription services, says TAO Connect founder Dr. Sherry Benton and CEO Bob Clark. TAO Connect is a UF startup and a UF Innovate | The Hub graduate. In October’s Subscription Commerce Tracker, they discuss with PYMNTS how their platform works to help patients overcome geographical and societal barriers to mental health access.

According to the latest figures available from the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one in five Americans — 45 million people — are afflicted by some type of mental health condition. Despite the fact that mental health is a widespread problem in the U.S., there are several barriers to accessing services — including geography. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department reports that roughly 111 million people live in “mental health professional shortage” areas, making it challenging for patients to reach local professionals.

UF startup TAO Connect believes that smartphones could offer a gateway, virtually connecting patients to mental health services through a subscription-based pricing model, similar to that of over the top (OTT) streaming services and meal kit deliveries.

Learn more about A Subscription Prescription To Boost Mental Health Accessibility.