Support Groups Are Shaping Mental Health Outcomes

In 2022, Sesh measured clinical outcomes for all members utilizing PHQ-2 and GAD-2 assessments to understand the impact of regular support group attendance on mental health. 

Sesh is a mental health platform that uses clinically accepted assessments to screen members for depression and anxiety when they join the platform and every 3 sessions. These assessments, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2), ask individuals to self-report their levels of depression and anxiety over the past two weeks.

In the last year, more than 5,500 Sesh members completed these self-assessments upon joining the platform. The average initial scores for Sesh members were 3.8 for depression (PHQ-2) and 3.7 for anxiety (GAD-2), on a scale of 0-6. Scores within this range indicate moderate levels of depression and anxiety, and suggest that these members may benefit from the services offered through the Sesh platform.

However, average scores between 5-6 on both the PHQ-2 and GAD-2 demonstrate the potential for higher levels of clinical intervention, indicating severe levels of depression and anxiety.

Approach & Results

Members are assessed for signs of depression and anxiety when they join the platform. These assessments, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2), ask individuals to self-report their levels of depression and anxiety over the past two weeks.  

Once members have attended (not just reserved!) 3 sessions, the PHQ-2 and GAD-2 are readministered before they can reserve further sessions. 

According to the platform, after only 3 sessions, members self-reported a 28% decrease in their feelings of depression and a 30% decrease in their feelings of anxiety. After 6 sessions, members self-reported a 44% decrease in their feelings of depression and a 33% decrease in their feelings of anxiety. After 9 sessions, members self-reported a 67% decrease in their feelings of depression and a 67% decrease in their feelings of anxiety.

After 10+ sessions, members self-reported improvement neutralized in both the anxiety and depression categories.

Sesh Is Driving Transformative Results With Support Groups. 

These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the services offered by Sesh in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety among members. The platform's use of clinically accepted assessments and self-reported data allows them to accurately track the progress of members and adjust their services accordingly. This approach to mental health support shows promise in improving the well-being of individuals struggling with depression and anxiety.