Publicity images from the digital mental health platform BetterHelp. A new study published on Oct 30, 2025 in the journal JAMA Network Open provides some early evidence that text-based therapy is effective in treating mild to moderate depression, finding outcomes similar to video-based therapy. — BetterHelp via The New York Times
One of the most popular mental health innovations of the past decade is therapy via text message, which allows you to dip in and out of treatment in the course of a day. Say you wake up anxious before a presentation: You might text your therapist first thing in the morning to say that you can’t stop visualising a humiliating failure.
Three hours later, her response pops up on your phone. She suggests that you label the thought – “I’m feeling nervous about my presentation” – and then try to reframe it. She tells you to take a deep breath before deciding what is true in the moment.
