By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Naval Base Guam is among the six military installations included in the U.S. Navy’s pilot program to provide therapy and mental health resources for approximately 25,000 sailors and their dependents.
Talkspace, an online behavioral health care company, has partnered with the Navy to carry out the trial run at Naval Base Guam, Newport News Shipyard,
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Naval Base Ventura County at Port Hueneme in California, Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
“Serving those who selflessly serve is a profound privilege and one that inspires our entire organization and network of providers,” said Jon Cohen, CEO of Talkspace.
The pilot, described as “the first of its kind for the U.S. Navy,” provides sailors and their families free access to Talkspace’s licensed care providers.
“We applaud the U.S. Navy’s leadership for prioritizing the mental well-being of their service members and families and making care accessible and convenient from wherever they are,” Cohen said.
A survey released by the Navy’s Health of the Force last year revealed that nearly two in five enlisted sailors felt "severely or extremely stressed."
"Approximately 41 percent of enlisted sailors with ranks between E-1 to E-6 reported feeling severely or extremely stressed, with 36 percent of enlisted sailors E-7 to E-9 saying the same," according to the survey, which had 9,380 respondents.
In a separate report in 2022, the Government Accountability Office recommended that the military provide counseling and crisis resources to servicemembers and their dependents, noting the increase in suicide rates in the Department of Defense.
DOD recorded 384 active-duty servicemember suicides in 2020—an increase of 33.5 percent in the suicide rate since 2016.
GAO found that remote and overseas military bases have higher suicide risk factors, such as social isolation and less access to mental health services.
Talkspace said the pilot program takes effect immediately.
“Eligible service members of the U.S. Navy in any of the six designated bases, along with their spouses/partners and dependents 13 and up, can sign up to get matched with a dedicated licensed provider and receive care through unlimited, asynchronous messaging therapy as well as live video sessions,” Talkspace said in a press release.
“They will also get 24/7 access to Talkspace Go, a self-guided mental health program for additional resources and on-demand therapist-led content covering a wide range of topics from managing stress and burnout to navigating grief and improving relationships,” it added.
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