New Partnership Takes on the Growing Mental Health Epidemic Facing Teenage Girls

Girls Inc. and Learn to Live announce collaboration to tackle the youth mental health crisis disproportionately affecting young women

NEW YORK and MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, preeminent girls’ leadership organization Girls Inc. and leading digital mental health provider Learn to Live announced a partnership to make clinically proven mental health services available free to Girls Inc. participants aged 13 and above. The program will offer support for social anxiety; depression; stress, anxiety & worry; panic; insomnia; substance use; and resilience skills to over 55,000 girls across the U.S. and Canada.

Mental health problems facing teenage girls and young women have grown alarmingly over the past decade. A recent CDC study found that 57% of female high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness in 2021 – a nearly 60% increase from a decade ago and nearly twice the rate of male students.

“Now, more than ever, empowering and supporting teenage girls and young women is a vital step towards combating the prevailing mental health epidemic,” said Dale Cook, Learn to Live co-founder and CEO. “By providing our clinically validated programs to the young women of Girls Inc., we hope to equip them with the tools to navigate life’s challenges, break down stigma, and create a future where mental well-being is valued and prioritized.”

The partnership builds on a successful pilot launched earlier this year with Girls Inc. staff and alumnae. The pilot provided an opportunity for the adults within the network of Girls Inc. to familiarize themselves with the programs so that they can provide support and guidance to the Girls Inc. participants who utilize them.

“At Girls Inc. we know how important mental well-being is to our participants – to nurture their resiliency, self-worth, and capacity to thrive,” said Girls Inc. President and CEO Stephanie Hull. “We are grateful to Learn to Live for providing this valuable programming. Together, we can champion the mental health of our girls and young women, ensuring their voices are heard, their needs are met, and their potential is unleashed.”

Learn to Live offers digital programs and 24/7 clinician coaching based on the clinically proven strategies of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to provide mental health tools and skills that teach people how to recognize and then change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to provide a meaningful, long-term impact on users’ mental health and well-being.

About Girls Inc.
Girls Inc. is a network of local organizations that works with schools and in communities across the United States and Canada. Through direct service and advocacy Girls Inc. equips girls – particularly girls from low-income communities and girls of color – with the knowledge and skills to effect positive changes in their lives and to become leaders who will change the world. Professionally trained staff and volunteers provide mentorship, safe spaces, and programming that address the unique challenges girls face and are proven to help girls succeed.

Together with partners and supporters, Girls Inc. is building the new generation of leaders. Join us at girlsinc.org.

About Learn to Live
Learn to Live is a leading digital mental health provider that brings together the clinically proven strategies of cognitive behavioral therapy with an easily accessible technology platform and live clinician coaching to provide a high-value benefit delivered through health plans, employers, and schools. The programs are designed to help people live better lives by addressing some of the most common mental health problems, including social anxiety; depression; stress, anxiety & worry; panic; insomnia; and substance use with a consistent focus on resilience and mindfulness. Learn to Live provides effective help to millions of people through a digital model that addresses the greatest barriers to receiving care: access, cost, and stigma. For more information visit www.learntolive.com.

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