Mental health startup Lantern launches program for dealing with stress

Lantern

Despite the prevalence of mental health issues among both children and adults in the U.S., less than 20 percent of children and 44 percent of adults get treated.

Lantern, a mental health startup, is looking to tackle this challenge, having launched a service to provide an accessible and more affordable option. The company, which has raised $4.4 million, is out with a new program for stress, in addition to other programs it offers for anxiety and body image.

Upon signing-up, users should take an assessment to determine which of its three tracks is best for them. All of Lantern’s programs are based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, which examines the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

These programs — available on the web and iOS — are designed to empower people to learn how to manage their anxiety, stress and/or body images on a daily basis. Lantern coaches, CBT professionals, are there to help along the way, providing feedback and keeping users accountable for reaching their goals.

Each of Lantern’s programs takes about eight to ten weeks to complete, depending on how often you do your daily sessions.A free seven-day trial is available, with paid plans costing $49 a month. Each of the programs takes about eight to ten weeks to complete, depending on how often you do your daily sessions. Lantern also recommends having at least one phone call with your coach shortly after you start the program. Unlimited messaging comes included as well.

Going forward, Lantern hopes to offer additional programs around interpersonal relationships and mood disorders like depression. It also plans to sign on several more enterprise clients, like universities and employers, in the next three months.

“I think in a year, it will start to become more commonplace for insurers and employers to offer holistic benefits because we can demonstrate that people who are emotionally better off and more resilient actually are healthier physically,” Lantern Founder Alejandro Foung told TechCrunch.