Birches Health has published the results of its latest large-scale study into the effectiveness of specialized treatment for virtual gambling disorders, highlighting a positive initial outlook.
Indeed, this widespread study examined a total of 1,305 adults who were receiving care for gambling disorders through Birches Health between June 2024 and April 2026. Broadly, the treatment types offered by the organization encompass wellness counseling, individual psychotherapy, group therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy – among other things. However, the specific modes and methods enacted in this study have not yet been outlined.
Nevertheless, the outcomes of the trial remain encouraging. A total of 71.7% of patients achieved ‘clinically meaningful’ improvements in gambling symptom severity within two weeks of treatment commencing. Overall, the treatment was proven to produce concrete improvements across participants with a range of psychiatric and mental health conditions.
This study represents the largest real-world dataset on virtual gambling disorder treatment ever compiled in the US. It also follows Birches Health’s official recognition in the 2026 New York Digital Health 100, an annual list published by Digital Health New York (DHNY) recognizing digital health companies considered to be driving innovation and measurable impact across the healthcare sector in February.
Commenting on this latest news was Birches Health Founder and CEO Elliot Rapaport, who said: "Gambling disorder has been treated as an afterthought in the US healthcare system for decades. People lose their savings, their families, their jobs, sometimes their lives, and the most common clinical response is still a referral to a generalist therapist who has never treated the condition.
“This study is peer-reviewed evidence that a different model exists and that it works. That should matter to every payer, employer, and state health system still treating gambling addiction as someone else's problem."
Over 20 million adults meet the criteria for problem gambling or gambling disorder in the US, according to Birches Health
