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Meru Health remote therapy program for depression, anxiety, and burnout

By Tuure Parkkinen, Meru Health Added 15th Feb, 2021 Updated 19th May, 2021

The Meru Health therapy programme is a structured 12-week remote therapy programme for the treatment of depression, anxiety and burnout.

The treatment combines evidence-based exercises and content with continuous support from a personal, licensed therapist, as well as an HRV biofeedback function.- What is Meru Health: https://vimeo.com/429217909

- Meru Health's HRV biofeedback feature: https://player.vimeo.com/video/353309977

- A participant video testimonial (Finland): https://youtu.be/z8PcUkW8x_Y

- A participant video testimonial (US): https://vimeo.com/495477106

About

The Meru Health therapy programme is delivered remotely via the patient's smartphone, making it accessible anywhere at any time.

The programme includes:

- Continuous support by a personal, licensed therapist, every weekday

- Self-regulation skills based on multiple broadly studied treatment modalities (incl. CBT, mindfulness-based methods, and behavioral activation therapy)

- An anonymous peer-support group

- An HRV biofeedback function

The programme teaches participants self-regulation skills and helps them rebalance their life, routines, relationships, nutrition, and sleep. Tackling underlying causes and behavioural patterns as well as providing the patients with this "toolbox" allows for sustained recovery.The programme can be accessed either via a referral from a healthcare professional or via online self-referral.

Its suitability is assessed via a health survey and a 30-45 minute call with a Meru therapist.We work with three of the five largest US insurance companies.

Despite tying up less therapist work per patient, our treatment outcomes and patient engagement have been extraordinary. Four peer-reviewed papers have been published:

- Feasibility of treatment: https://formative.jmir.org/2019/1/e11509/

- 12-month outcomes: https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/8/e14284/

- Incremental effectiveness of the HRV biofeedback feature: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10484-020-09458-z

- Treating physician burnout (published in print only): https://psyarxiv.com/y3u49/

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