Talkspace Launches Campaign for Men’s Health Awareness Month Featuring Talkspace Members Opening up About the Importance of Mental Health

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK), a leading online behavioral health care company, launched a new campaign for Men’s Health Awareness Month, commonly known as Movember. The “Look Who’s Talking” campaign features testimonials from Talkspace members, including brand ambassador and longtime mental health advocate Michael Phelps, and highlights an emerging trend of men candidly discussing mental health challenges. The campaign shows how men are rewriting the playbook for how they deal with emotions, relationships, and life transitions, and includes expert insights about men and their mental health, all featured on the new Talkspace campaign webpage.

Men have historically been less likely to seek mental health support than women, often suffering in silence, but Talkspace sees that changing as more men open up about their mental health and seek therapy. Reflecting the larger trend towards increased access and greater normalization of asking for help in recent years, the percentage of men receiving mental health support increased 36% from 13.1% to 17.8%¹. Recognizing this transformative shift in attitude toward men’s mental health, Talkspace’s Men’s Health Awareness Month campaign highlights real perspectives and personal experiences from men on their platform.

“We are witnessing a momentous shift around male attitudes toward therapy. Where society once said silence is strength, we are now recognizing vulnerability as bravery,” said Katelyn Watson, Chief Marketing Officer at Talkspace. “Through the ‘Look Who’s Talking’ campaign, we want to re-write the playbook for men’s mental health and showcase real stories of men ‘talking it out’ in Talkspace therapy. We continue to dispel harmful stigma around therapy and spread the message that men belong there too.”

In the campaign’s documentary-styled vignettes, male Talkspace members shared:

• I work in a high pressure environment. I was getting awards [and doing] amazing things, the people, my loved ones, the people around me, they were happy for me, but I wasn't happy for myself. Therapy for me was my own personal journey to become the best version of myself.
            - Carlvin, Talkspace member

• Life is very complicated and messy, and I don't have to necessarily go through it by myself. I don't have to rely on my family and my friends to just be the ones listening to me. But I can have someone that has no attachment to anything else, listen to me and give me their professional, but also their unfiltered opinions on things.
            - Evan, Talkspace member

“While some men may still hesitate to discuss their mental health, you can help those you care about feel more comfortable about opening up,” said Talkspace therapist Erica Patton Simpson. “Often it can be helpful to go beyond asking ‘How are you?’ and instead ask more thoughtful questions like ‘What’s on your mind lately?’ or ‘What are some things that have been bothering you?’”

For more information on the “Look Who’s Talking” campaign and men’s mental health support, visit talkspace.com/menshealth.

About Talkspace

Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK) is a leading virtual behavioral healthcare provider committed to helping people lead healthier, happier lives through access to high-quality mental healthcare. At Talkspace, we believe that mental healthcare is core to overall health and should be available to everyone.

Talkspace pioneered the ability to text with a licensed therapist from anywhere and now offers a comprehensive suite of mental health services, including therapy for individuals, teens, and couples, as well as psychiatric treatment and medication management (18+). With Talkspace’s core therapy offerings, members are matched with one of thousands of licensed therapists within days and can engage in live video, audio, or chat sessions, and/or unlimited asynchronous text messaging sessions.

All care offered at Talkspace is delivered through an easy-to-use, fully-encrypted web and mobile platform that meets HIPAA, federal, and state regulatory requirements. More than 158 million Americans have access to Talkspace through their health insurance plans, employee assistance programs, our partnerships with leading healthcare companies, or as a free benefit through their employer, school, or government agency.

For more information, visit www.talkspace.com.

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1}Mental Health Treatment Among Adults Aged 18–44: United States, 2019–2021 (CDC, September 2022)