Virtual Therapy West Virginia

Accessible Virtual Therapy for West Virginia Residents

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that about 367,000 West Virginia residents struggle with a mental health condition, including chronic stress, anxiety, and mild-to-severe forms of depression. This number is double that of the population of the state’s capital city, Charleston. Of added concern, is that about 90,000 West Virginia adults have a serious mental illness, and that one-in-six of WV youth between the ages of 12-17 experience a major depressive episode each year. As of 2025, studies find that West Virginia has the highest rate of depression in the U.S., with specific counties like Logan having some of the nation’s highest percentages of adults diagnosed. Depression lifetime prevalence in WV persists at 26.4% (29% for WV women) compared against the national prevalence of depression of 18.4%. Anxiety prevalence is also high at 33%, compared against the US average of 28.2%.

Without intervention, the state is headed for an especially challenging future because 760,000 WV residents (or 43% of the population) live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals. To overcome barriers to accessing qualified support, Kindbridge has stepped in to offer powerful virtual therapy. West Virginia residents (individuals, couples, and families) can connect to a specialized counselor right here, right now.

“West Virginia has the highest rate of depression in the U.S. at 26.4% of the population.”

(National Library of Medicine)

Using Technology to Overcome Tech Addictions

Technology addiction is one of the fastest growing threats to public health in the Mountain State. This phenomenon is common for regions where anxiety and depression are high, as screen-time can be coping mechanism, albeit an unhealthy one. It should come as no surprise to find that West Virginia leads the entire nation in streaming time, with an average of 4 hours and 31 minutes of streaming per day.

“West Virginia ranks first among ‘States Most Obsessed with Streaming Services’ ” (iplocation.net)

Problematic behavior regarding engagement with internet-enabled activities has compromised the wellbeing of vulnerable and at-risk residents. These issues include the following:

• Problematic online gambling behavior: Research shows that in the most recently reported annum, calls to West Virginia’s problem gambling helplines have increased by about 100% year-over-year. Further, WV is ranked 8th as the “most gambling addicted state” in America.
• Problematic use of pornography: National studies suggest that up to 7% of Americans meet the criteria for problematic use of pornography, which equates 123,900 WV 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. With West Virginia News reporting that WV is right in the middle of the states “most obsessed” with video games, sitting at 27 out of 50, it’s logical to conclude that the state aligns with the national averages.
• Problematic online shopping behavior: National studies suggest that up to 16% of Americans struggle with unhealthy online shopping behavior. It’s estimated that 283,200 West Virginians 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 WV 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