The SilverCloud Health Journey to 1 Million Users

Depression among adults in the United States has tripled from 8.5 percent just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to 32.8% or nearly 1 in every 3 American adults today. We see similar alarming numbers across other mental health issues and conditions such as Anxiety. Insomnia and Stress. Only about half of those suffering receive the treatment they need and deserve. This can primarily be attributed to a lack of access to quality mental healthcare due to cost, shortage of resources, and the stigma associated with seeking treatment. In fact, behavioral health is one of the most resource-constrained industries, and the crisis is becoming increasingly dire, driven by a growing number of medical professionals leaving the field at the same time as an influx in demand for care.

It’s these reasons that led the incredible team to create SilverCloud Health. The genesis of SilverCloud came from the extreme social and economic need for an effective and clinically validated digital solution demand and the failure of solutions to address these needs – these solutions had three major flaws; low user engagement, high user dropout, and limited clinical improvement – essentially, the solutions did and do not work in real-world settings. Since then, SilverCloud has grown into a global leader in accessible, scalable, digital behavioral healthcare backed by years of clinical research and validation.

In 2021 our hard work was further validated when digital health leader Amwell acquired SilverCloud. This was a defining moment in our journey, by becoming part of the Amwell family, we had an opportunity to accelerate our Mission of Helping people improve their mental health through technology. This was reinforced by our Vision of Effective mental healthcare for all.

Mental health and physical health are intrinsically linked, leading to the expression that there is no health without mental health. As such, mental health care should be incorporated into every part of a patient’s physical healthcare. It’s also important for a patient to have access to that care when, where, and how they need it – providing what works best for them given the context of where they are on their care journey – in a consistent and streamlined way. By combining the power of SilverCloud’s digital mental health tools, courses and support with Amwell’s digital care delivery enablement platform, we can redefine the practice of medicine to include always-on healthcare companionship that makes the balance and transition between interactive, digital and in-person care more fluid across the full spectrum of care. Finally, mental health care is getting an equal seat at the table, bringing the head and the body back together again for truly holistic care.

Fast forward another year, and I am honored to say that SilverCloud has surpassed another major milestone – today, we have over one million users using our platform. That means over one million people, their families, workplaces and communities have felt the positive impact of SilverCloud on their journey to better mental health. These one million people have been able to have access to care that they might not have otherwise had. One million people are getting the help they deserve.

It’s been an incredible journey to get to this point and we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible. As we think about all that lies ahead, let’s take a look back at just how far we’ve come:

• 2012: SilverCloud is born! SilverCloud was spun out from the Technology Enhanced Therapy (TET) project.
• 2017: SilverCloud raises over $8 million in series A funding.
• 2019: Express Scripts, the largest independent manager of pharmacy benefits in the United States, includes SilverCloud on its new digital health formulary. This makes the platform more widely available to people nationwide who are suffering from Anxiety, depression, stress and sleep-related issues, like insomnia.
• 2019/2020: SilverCloud collaborates with Microsoft to conduct research that combines Microsoft’s cutting-edge machine learning and AI technologies with SilverCloud’s expertise in real-world delivery of evidence-based interventions and mental health outcomes. The results were published in JAMA Network Open and serve to show how machine learning can meaningfully assist in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health problems.
• 2020: SilverCloud raises $16 million in series B funding. Led by MemorialCare Innovation Fund, this round elevated the company’s total funding to more than $30 million.
• 2021: SilverCloud is acquired by Amwell.
• 2022: Amwell announces Comprehensive Behavioral Health offering combining the best of SilverCloud digital care and Amwell therapy delivery and its 50 sate network.
• 2022: SilverCloud surpasses one million users of its digital mental health platform.