20. TrooRa The Inclusivity Issue Autumn 2023

Empathy in the Digital Age

I t’s not much of a stretch to say the mental health care system in the United States is broken. For most people with depression, anxiety, or burnout, it takes over a decade to find a treatment that works. That’s without delving into the fragile safety net of government programs, the lack of sufficient insurance coverage, limited access to adequate mental health services, and the high cost of medicines and rehabilitation. But on the bright side, there are people attempting to solve the mental health care dilemma, including Kristian Ranta, Riku Lindholm, and Albert Nazander. They are the founders of Meru Health, a mental health care platform that takes a holistic approach to helping people get better from the convenience of their smartphones. Here’s the gist of Meru Health: You call a Meru Health therapist through the app, and they tailor your program to best meet your needs and goals. Then over the next 12 weeks, you learn behavioral and mindfulness techniques that you practice at your own pace. To ensure you get the most out of each week, you frequently check in with your therapist and an anonymous peer group for additional support.

Meru Health’s Holistic Journey Towards Mental Wellness

Meru also combines modern technology, such as their wearable tracker to measure long- and short-term progress, with behavioral science and proactive care to achieve enduring outcomes. The main idea of the program is to empower people to make simple changes to their lifestyle so that they can see real impacts and changes that stick. This holistic approach differs from the traditional ways we think of supporting mental health. Sure, it’s great to focus on making people feel better about themselves, their situations, and how to handle difficulties in their lives. But in reality, we should also consider our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being because all of those areas are tied to mental health. Like many successful startups, Meru Health came from a place of passion for the company’s founders. In Kristian Ranta’s case, his parents were both entrepreneurs, so he got to watch his father run his factory from a young age. But his passion for mental health care stemmed from a darker place in his life. He learned what suffering was when he watched his mother battle cancer multiple times and later when his older brother took his own life after suffering from depression for many years.

Kristian Ranta, Founder

PHOTO CREDIT COURTESY SUOMEN TEOLLISUUSSIJOITUS, CODA, TECHCRUNCH, TIVI WRITTEN BY KEVIN JAMES JEFFERY

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