Care Delivery and Clinical Capacity

Rooted in the values of belonging, courage, empathy, and one team, LifeStance Health has grown to be one of the largest responders to the mental health crisis in the U.S. In 2025, more than 8,000 LifeStance clinicians delivered care to nearly 1 million patients across approximately 9 million visits in 44 languages.1,2

  • Collectively, LifeStance clinicians offer the full spectrum of outpatient mental health services, with ~80% providing psychosocial interventions, in both in-person and virtual settings, and ~20% providing traditional and interventional psychiatry.

Integrating Measurement-Informed Care

As of May 2025, LifeStance advanced its adoption of measurement-based care by implementing outcome measurements as a central, automated part of an electronic clinical workflow. LifeStance uses two industry standard measures—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)3 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)4—to systematically assess patient symptoms over time and tailor treatment to patients’ needs. Beyond gathering these outcome metrics at frequent, automated intervals, LifeStance is actively working to enhance its measurement-informed practices by building guidance directly into clinical workflows, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and advancing the delivery of measurement-driven, patient-centered care. Additionally, LifeStance deployed clinician training to strengthen the integration of measurement informed care into day-to-day practice.

Depression and Anxiety Outcomes Following Care Initiation

From September 2024 to December 2025, LifeStance collected over 6 million PHQ-9 and GAD-7 surveys from more than 950,000 patients. The adoption of automated measure collection allowed LifeStance clinicians to assess patient progress at regular intervals during continuous episodes of care (a minimum of 180 days with no gaps between at least 2 visits). This approach captures patient progress during periods of consistent clinical activity, ensuring that evaluation of patient outcomes focuses on sustained engagement rather than intermittent care.

This widespread adoption of measurement-informed care afforded the opportunity to evaluate LifeStance clinical outcomes at a national scale. Our initial evaluation focused on patients who started care during the period beginning on September 2024 and ending on December 2025, completed a baseline PHQ-9 and/or GAD-7 survey before or on the date of their first visit, and completed at least one follow-up survey typically recorded at least 30 days after the baseline visit. All had at least moderate depression or anxiety severity at baseline, indicated by a score of 10 or higher on the PHQ-9 or GAD-7.

  • The cohort included over 180,000 patients across the 33 states LifeStance serves.
  • Over 150,000 patients presented with moderate depression at baseline, consisting of
    • 67% female, 33% male based on sex assigned at birth
      • Sex assigned at birth is used in this analysis due to current data availability and to support consistency in clinical outcomes reporting. We recognize that gender identity is distinct from sex assigned at birth, and that our patient population includes individuals with diverse gender identities, including those outside the gender binary.
    • 82% between ages 22 and 64
    • Of this cohort, 73% experienced clinically significant improvement in depression symptoms
  • Over 140,000 patients presented with moderate anxiety at baseline, consisting of
    • 68% female, 32% male based on sex assigned at birth
    • 83% between ages 22 and 64
    • Of this cohort, 79% showed clinically significant improvement in anxiety symptoms
  • 73% experienced clinically significant improvement in depression symptoms, 79% showed clinically significant improvement in anxiety symptoms
  • Symptom reduction rates were consistent across all U.S. geographic regions:
    • Depression improvement ranged from 70% to 75%
    • Anxiety improvement ranged from 75% to 80%
Cohort Number of Patients Condition Number of Patients (Baseline) % Improvement at Follow-up
All over 180,000 – – –
Subset – Moderate or worse depression over 150,000 73%
Subset – Moderate or worse anxiety over 140,000 79%

High-Quality Care Across Setting

LifeStance offers numerous services to support patient needs across disciplines, so patients can receive the specialized care they deserve. To ensure the necessary breadth of skills, LifeStance employs highly qualified clinicians, supports their growth, and develops multi-disciplinary teams. All providers have access to evidence-based trainings, including:

  • Grand rounds
  • Journal club
  • Specialized trainings
  • Comprehensive mentoring initiatives with peers

Clinical excellence is further fostered via partnerships with primary care clinics and hospitals.

Treatment Workflows

LifeStance has established comprehensive clinical care pathways (CCPs) tailored to address a variety of mental health conditions. These structured paths offer clearly defined, evidence-based guidelines to assist clinicians in making informed decisions throughout the course of patient care. The pathways support each stage of the patient journey, beginning with accurate diagnosis, progressing through the selection of appropriate treatments, and including strategies for addressing complex or treatment-resistant cases. The aim is to facilitate improvement in patient symptoms and to promote overall well-being in a consistent way across the organization. LifeStance has deployed the following CCPs:

  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Suicidal Ideation

Summary and Outlook

The substantial cohort size and robust outcomes observed across patient populations underscore LifeStance’s commitment to delivering measurable, high-quality mental health care. The consistently high rates of symptom reduction and improvement for both depression and anxiety reflect not only the effectiveness of evidence-based clinical pathways but also the strength of integrated clinician support and training structures embedded in LifeStance’s practices. While further research will help clarify specific drivers of these outcomes, current results suggest that a combination of comprehensive care offerings, ongoing education, and innovative clinical frameworks are central to supporting patient progress.

  • Demonstrated Commitment to Quality: Substantial cohort size and robust outcomes highlight LifeStance dedication to measurable, high-quality mental health care.
  • Proven Effectiveness: High rates of symptom reduction and improvement in both depression and anxiety validate the impact of our evidence-based clinical pathways.
  • Integrated Clinician Support: Strong clinician training and support structures drive consistent patient progress and positive outcomes.
  • Innovative and Comprehensive Care: A combination of comprehensive care offerings, ongoing education, and clinical innovation underpins our success and adaptability.
  • Expansion of Pathways: As we refine and expand our clinical care pathways, LifeStance is positioned for even broader impact and continued excellence in mental health care.

As LifeStance continues to refine and expand its pathways and reach new communities, there is strong potential for even broader impact and continued enhancement of outcomes in mental health care.

Citations

  1. Prokocki, M. (2026). LifeStance Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings [Audio Transcript]. Retrieved https://investor.lifestance.com/static-files/f6113ea2-acf0-4f14-84b0-b243d364c735

  2. LifeStance Health. (2025, December 31). What a year it has been! We’re grateful for each one of our LifeStance teammates and the work they do every day to help people lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lifestance-health_what-a-year-it-has-been-were-grateful-for-activity-7411811069976870912-qRcI

  3. Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). The PHQ-9. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x

  4. Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092

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Authored By 

Bridget Balkaran, MPH

A driven biostatistician with strong analytical skills for EMR data. Focuses on translating statistical results into interpretable solutions by identifying and reporting associations. Experience with machine learning and regression models. A unique combination of technical proficiency and clear communication through...

Authored By Violeta Cone, PhD
Violeta Cone, PhD

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Authored By Blair Brown, PsyD
Blair Brown, PsyD

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