SBIR-STTR Award

Message-Based Psychotherapy and Digital Treatment Sequences for Depression
Award last edited on: 12/30/2023

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NIMH
Total Award Amount
$3,883,663
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
242
Principal Investigator
Thomas Derrick Hull

Company Information

Talkspace (AKA: Groop Internet Platform)

622 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
   (212) 284-7206
   N/A
   www.talkspace.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 12
County: New York

Phase I

Contract Number: N/A
Start Date: 9/3/2020    Completed: 8/31/2021
Phase I year
2020
Phase I Amount
$1
Direct to Phase II

Phase II

Contract Number: 1R44MH124334-01
Start Date: 9/3/2020    Completed: 8/31/2021
Phase II year
2020
(last award dollars: 2023)
Phase II Amount
$3,883,662

This is a fast track SBIR proposal that will (1) test the effectiveness of daily, message- based psychotherapy (MBP) for depression, compared to traditionally delivered, video-chat psychotherapy (VCP) and (2) develop an evidence-based treatment sequence for those who do not respond to either daily MBP or VCP. Phase 1 consists of a pilot study to determine the best incentive model to retain a sample of people 18 years old and older with depression into a SMART trial. Information from this pilot will inform the retention strategy for Phase 2. Phase 2 is a 12-week, randomized clinical trial using a SMART design to test the following aims: 1. Determine the relative effectiveness of daily MBP compared to weekly VCP in treating symptoms of depression and improving social functioning; 2. For those who fail to respond to 6 weeks of weekly VCP only, determine whether the addition of daily messaging, or a switch to monthly video-chat plus daily messaging improves depression and functional outcomes; and 3. For those who fail to respond to 6 weeks of daily MBP, whether the addition of monthly video-chat or weekly video-chat improves outcomes. Participants will provide data on mood, activity, and functioning, and we will collect data on use of treatment (texts and sessions), and working alliance. Information from this study has the following impact on science: We will have information on the effectiveness of psychotherapy delivered via messaging-based platforms, and the relative effectiveness of this model of care compared to traditional, one-hour-a-week care. This is important to the field because there is considerable concern that care delivered in this manner may be less effective than the typical delivery model of one-hour-a- week care. We will be able to determine the best method of enhancing care for those who do not respond to either daily messaging only or traditional, once a week video-based sessions. This study is innovative in that it will provide useful information as to who responds to different types of psychotherapy delivery, a question that has been one of importance to health care organizations who plan to integrate remote psychotherapy into their system of care, as well as to patients seeking to inform themselves of mental health resources appropriate to their situation. The data from this study will result in the following commercialization plan: Talkspace is well established in direct to consumer markets and is growing important relationships and partnerships within mental healthcare. Future initiatives include continuing to expand business partnerships with leading payers, employers and healthcare organizations, as well as expanding globally to other countries that are struggling to build a mental healthcare infrastructure that can meet the needs of their citizens, especially low- and middle- income countries where phones are widely available, but mental health resources are not. The acquisition of data comparing MBP to traditionally delivered VCP will put Talkspace’s product above the others in the market. Further, the creation of a treatment sequence for people who do not respond to either type of psychotherapy will result in a novel feature of the product that has the potential to tailor treatment intensity.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PUBLIC NARRATIVE. This partnership between Talkspace and the UW ALACRITY Center will determine how effective unlimited text-based psychotherapy for depression is when compared to once-a-week psychotherapy. This study will also determine what the best treatment options are for people who are not responding well to either unlimited texting or weekly psychotherapy. The results of this study will be a new product version of message-based care that can tailor psychotherapy intensity based on the needs of future consumers with depression.

Project Terms:
18 year old; Address; Anxiety; base; Businesses; care systems; Caring; commercialization; comorbidity; Country; Coupled; Data; data acquisition; depressive symptoms; design; digital; Disease remission; Effectiveness; effectiveness testing; Ensure; Environment; Evidence based treatment; Feedback; financial incentive; Frequencies; functional outcomes; Future; General Population; health care service organization; Health Resources; Healthcare; Hour; improved; improved outcome; Incentives; individualized medicine; Infrastructure; innovation; Intensive Care; Location; low and middle-income countries; Mediating; Mediator of activation protein; Mental Depression; Mental disorders; Mental Health; Methods; Modeling; Moods; novel; Outcome; overtreatment; Participant; Patients; Phase; Pilot Projects; Privacy; Privatization; Psyche structure; Psychotherapy; Randomized; Randomized Clinical Trials; Recommendation; relative effectiveness; response; retention rate; rural area; Sampling; Schedule; Science; Secure; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Social Functioning; symposium; symptom treatment; Telephone; Teletherapy; Testing; tetrahydrobiopterin; Text; Text Messaging; Therapeutic; Therapeutic Intervention; Time; Treatment outcome; treatment response; urban area; Videoconferencing; Work