New Independent Research Study Shows Soluna Improves Youth Mental Health in California
New research from Northwestern University found that California youth using Soluna reported statistically significant reductions in psychological distress, depression, anxiety, loneliness, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and improved quality of life. These improvements were present one month after joining the study and remained at the three-month follow-up, suggesting that young people experienced benefits that lasted over time. The size of these improvements are substantially larger than what evaluations of other digital mental health interventions (e.g. Alongside, Headspace) have reported.
These findings provide encouraging early evidence that California’s investment in accessible, prevention-focused digital mental health support is producing measurable benefits for young people. The sections below provide additional detail on the study design, findings, and why this research matters for California.
These findings provide encouraging early evidence that California’s investment in accessible, prevention-focused digital mental health support is producing measurable benefits for young people. The sections below provide additional detail on the study design, findings, and why this research matters for California.
Who Conducted this Research?
Researchers at Northwestern University conducted an evaluation of Soluna, California's no-cost digital mental health platform for youth ages 13 to 25. The study was led by Dr. Jessica Schleider, a nationally respected expert in digital mental health, and her team at Northwestern's Lab for Scalable Mental Health.
To ensure objectivity, data collection and analysis was owned and conducted entirely by the Northwestern team and data analyses were pre-registered. This means the Northwestern team publicly committed to their research questions and methods in advance to ensure results are reported transparently and without bias.
Kooth Digital Health, the company that operates Soluna, funded the study, acted as consultants on the Soluna platform, and supported study write up. Kooth did not collect or analyze study data. The study was approved by Northwestern University's Institutional Review Board and the California Department of Health Care Services.
To ensure objectivity, data collection and analysis was owned and conducted entirely by the Northwestern team and data analyses were pre-registered. This means the Northwestern team publicly committed to their research questions and methods in advance to ensure results are reported transparently and without bias.
Kooth Digital Health, the company that operates Soluna, funded the study, acted as consultants on the Soluna platform, and supported study write up. Kooth did not collect or analyze study data. The study was approved by Northwestern University's Institutional Review Board and the California Department of Health Care Services.
Who Participated?
232 California Soluna users ages 14 to 17 enrolled between April and June 2025 via a notification informing users of the research opportunity. This sample size is considered statistically robust for this type of research, where the same individuals are measured repeatedly over time rather than compared against a control group. Participants came from across the state and reflected California's demographic diversity, including youth who identified as LGBTQ+, youth of color, and young people who had experienced significant adversity in childhood.
What did the Researchers Measure?
Participants completed surveys at three points: when they first joined the study, one month later, and three months later. The surveys used are clinically validated and standardized tools used by healthcare providers and researchers worldwide. The surveys assessed:
- Overall psychological distress
- Depression and anxiety symptoms
- Feelings of hopelessness and loneliness
- Suicidal ideation
- Quality of life (both mental and physical)
What did the Research Find?
Young people using Soluna showed statistically significant improvements in psychological distress, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, loneliness, suicidal ideation, and quality of life at one month, and these improvements were still present at three months.
Notably, the “effect size” of these improvements (a measure of the size of the improvement) were in the moderate-to-large range, with one third of young people reporting noticeable reductions in psychological distress. This is a substantially larger proportion than what evaluations of other digital mental health interventions (e.g. Alongside, Headspace) have reported. Coupled with positive written feedback from participants, these findings suggest that young people experienced the improvements as impactful in their daily lives.
Perhaps the most important finding is that the improvements that emerged within the first month held at the three-month follow-up. This matters because early gains that fade over time are a well-documented limitation of digital mental health interventions. In this study, young people are reporting detectable, meaningful improvements in their mental health that are sticking with them over time.
Notably, the “effect size” of these improvements (a measure of the size of the improvement) were in the moderate-to-large range, with one third of young people reporting noticeable reductions in psychological distress. This is a substantially larger proportion than what evaluations of other digital mental health interventions (e.g. Alongside, Headspace) have reported. Coupled with positive written feedback from participants, these findings suggest that young people experienced the improvements as impactful in their daily lives.
Perhaps the most important finding is that the improvements that emerged within the first month held at the three-month follow-up. This matters because early gains that fade over time are a well-documented limitation of digital mental health interventions. In this study, young people are reporting detectable, meaningful improvements in their mental health that are sticking with them over time.
Did It Work Equally Across Different Groups?
Yes. The study specifically tested whether changes in distress differed based on race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, household adversity, or other demographic factors, and, importantly, no significant differences were found. Youth from all backgrounds showed comparable benefits. This indicates that Soluna functions as an equitable resource; not just effective on average, but effective for the young people who have historically been hardest to reach.
What Do the Researchers Conclude?
The Northwestern team concluded that Soluna shows promise as a scalable, accessible mental health resource for California youth. Because the platform is free and available without a referral, insurance, or parental consent, it removes barriers that typically prevent young people from seeking help. Although no single study can serve as the final word on effectiveness, this evaluation found strong, sustained improvements across multiple validated mental health outcomes under real-world conditions; improvements that are substantially larger than those seen in other digital mental health interventions.
Why This Matters for California
California made a significant investment in youth mental health through the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. These findings serve as important early evidence that Soluna is delivering meaningful support at scale. Additional ongoing research and evaluation efforts are planned to continue measuring Soluna’s impact and long-term value for California.
This summary is based on a preprint submitted for peer review on March 24, 2026: Cohen, K., Rapoport, A., Hill, S., Misch, R., Cowling, E.P., Salhi, L., & Schleider, J.L., "Single-Arm Evaluation of the Soluna Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Platform for Youth in California." The study has not yet completed peer review. Please do not cite without the authors' permission.
This summary is based on a preprint submitted for peer review on March 24, 2026: Cohen, K., Rapoport, A., Hill, S., Misch, R., Cowling, E.P., Salhi, L., & Schleider, J.L., "Single-Arm Evaluation of the Soluna Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Platform for Youth in California." The study has not yet completed peer review. Please do not cite without the authors' permission.
