Therapy: The long view

Access to outpatient mental health treatment is increasingly limited. One estimate found only half of adolescents with diagnosed mental health disorders actually received therapeutic support, with long wait times the norm (Whitney & Peterson, 2019). In the wake of the COVID pandemic, with depression and anxiety rising, lack of access will take a toll on our youth, their families, and our communities. Many barriers exist, including increasing demand for services, help‐seeking stigma, cultural and contextual factors impeding access or trust in providers, and lack of specialty clinics. But one little‐discussed factor has been weighing on me: length of treatment.