Virtual Therapy Oklahoma

Accessible Virtual Therapy for Oklahoma Residents

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that about 768,000 Oklahoma residents struggle with a mental health condition, including chronic stress, ,anxiety, and varying degrees of depression. This number is more than 6-times the population of Norman, the state’s third most populated city. Of added concern, is that about 195,000 Oklahoma adults have a serious mental illness, and that nearly 17% of OK youth between the ages of 12-17 experience a major depressive episode each year. Furthermore, Oklahoma often ranks second in the nation for adults with a substance use disorder (SUD). SUDs are known to cooccur with a number of mental and behavioral health issues, including technology based addictions which we discuss in the next section. Without intervention, the state is headed for an especially troubling future when considering that 1.9 million Oklahoma residents live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals. That’s 46% of the entire population.

“Approximately 46% of Oklahoma‘s population lives in a community without adequate access to mental health support”

“Oklahoma consistently has one of the highest rates of substance use disorder per capita in the United States“

What’s the reason for the lack of adequate mental health support? Local reports indicate that Oklahoma faces a mental health professional shortage due to limited training pipelines, especially for psychiatrists and psychologists, low insurance reimbursement rates, rural access issues, burnout, stigma, and recent federal funding cuts affecting school programs, all leading to insufficient providers for a growing demand. The state struggles to train and retain professionals, particularly in rural areas, exacerbating existing challenges. In response, Kindbridge Behavioral Health has stepped in. We have opened our virtual doors to “The Sooner State” with specialized counselors on standby to receive new clients.

Using Technology to Overcome Tech Addictions

Ironically, given the rural nature of the region, technology addiction is one of the fastest growing threats to public health in Oklahoma. Problematic behavior regarding engagement with web-enabled activities has compromised the wellbeing of vulnerable residents. These issues include the following:

• Problematic online gambling behavior: Research shows that 6.3% of Oklahoma’s adult population meets the criteria for gambling disorder, and that 23.5% of its adult population are considered at risk for problem gambling.
• Problematic use of pornography: As with problem gambling (above) National studies suggest that up to 7% of adults meet the criteria for problematic gambling behavior, which equates 221,400 OK residents.
• Problematic online trading behavior: National studies suggest that 8% of investors meet the criteria for compulsivity regarding online trading.
• Unhealthy video gaming: National studies suggest around 3-5% of gamers experience issues with unhealthy gaming.
• Problematic online shopping behavior: National studies suggest that up to 16% of Americans struggle with unhealthy online shopping behavior. It’s estimated that 656,000 Oklahomans may be affected, assuming the state mirrors national averages. 

As a virtual counseling platform, Kindbridge leverages technology to treat all of the above. Counseling specific to each issue are available to any Oklahoma resident with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop (everyone). Click or call to connect right now.

Successfully Treating Cooccurring Issues

A number of mental health concerns are comorbid with technology addictions. Whether you struggle with one or more of these as cooccurring (w/ problem tech use) issues or they are standalone concerns, we will help.

Anxiety	ADHD
Bipolar Disorder	Chronic Anger + Irritability
Depression	OCD
PTSD	Substance Use Disorder