Talkspace Provides Tele-Therapy to Sigma Kappa Sorority Members Across the U.S.

Lack of access to mental health resources is a problem for many. At universities, a growing number of students are seeking help, but college counseling centers are struggling to meet the demand.

Talkspace, an online therapy service, has partnered with a national sorority, Sigma Kappa, to provide its services to the sorority’s members. This is the first sorority to partner with Talkspace, which has already partnered with two fraternities, Alpha Tau Omega and Delta Tau Delta.

According to the Indianapolis Star, the Greek organizations get free access to Talkspace for three months. After that, members can pay to continue using the service. Talkspace’s most popular plan is $59 a week, which includes video, audio and text messaging with a therapist, plus a monthly 30-minute live-chat session. The cost of typical in-person therapy varies largely based on location, insurance coverage and other factors, though prices can average between $75 and $150 in some places.

“The collaboration brings a modern and student-friendly mental health solution to Sigma Kappa members across the nation as a new term starts, and in a time when anxiety and depression levels are on the rise among college students,” a statement from Sigma Kappa reads.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college-aged students. Anxiety is the most prevalent psychological issue, according to a research article in 2014. Almost 12 percent of college students had an anxiety disorder while 7 to 9 percent of students had depression.

A National Alliance on Mental Illness survey showed the top reasons students had poor experiences with on-campus counseling services. These included a limited number of counseling sessions and a lack of adequately trained mental health providers. Though Talkspace isn’t on campus, access to counseling helped 65 percent of students who used a campus counseling center stay in school, according to the American Psychological Association.

Related: 10 Self-Care Survival Tips for College Anxiety and 7 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting College With Mental Illness