Mental Healthcare On Demand, Good Or Bad?

Mental health is an issue and the pandemic did not help. More and more Americans are seeking help for addiction, depression, and a slew of other mental health issues.

With that said, it should be a good thing that CVS is joining several retailers such as Walgreens and Walmart that are experimenting with offering counseling services in our nearby stores. Making help more accessible is a good thing, right?

I don’t know. On the one side, yes–counseling should be made as accessible as possible for anyone that seeks it out. On the other side, though, is this sentence from the Wall Street Journal article linked above:

“CVS is betting Americans will get therapy at the same place they buy their snacks, soda and prescription drugs.”

Are these big corporations really looking out for the mental health of their customers or are they just trying to cash in on the mental health crisis our country is going through? Should these hubs of all things unhealthy (snacks, soda, prescription drugs), really be the place where people seek out therapy?

Will this approach to therapy help people tackle their mental health issues with a holistic approach that addresses lifestyle, diet, and exercise, or will they just write you a prescription that you can then conveniently pick up right on site, along with a bag of Doritos and a diet coke?

But maybe this is a step in the right direction. Maybe we are meeting people where they are at, and that could be a good thing.