The best online psychiatrists can help people manage mental health conditions with medication. We researched the best options to try in 2024, which include Cerebral, Sesame, and Talkspace.
Medical News Today editors have tried some of the products in this article. Reviewers may have received some products from the manufacturers for free, which does not influence their review. All opinions are their own.
The table below compares each of the online psychiatry services in this article. Prices reflect the cost of services without insurance coverage at the time of publication.
| Initial consultation cost | Follow-up cost | Accepts insurance | Type of appointments | Available 24/7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talkspace | $299 | $175 | yes | • video • phone • messaging | yes |
| LiveHealth Online | $175 | $75 | yes | video | yes |
| Amwell | $199 | $95 | no | video | yes |
| MDLIVE | $284 | $108 | yes | • video • phone | no |
| Doctor On Demand | $299 | $129 | yes | video | yes |
| Cerebral | • $99 to $365 per month without insurance • around $30 per month with insurance | — | yes | • video • phone | no |
| Sesame | $46 to $112, varies by doctor and location | varies by doctor | no | • video • in-person | no |
| Brightside Health | from $95 to $349 per month | — | yes | video | yes |
| Talkiatry | $25 to $414 | — | yes | video | yes |
Medical News Today has independently vetted over 145 mental health products and services, including the psychiatry services in this article. We consider the quality, accessibility, and cost of each service before recommending them in a medically-reviewed article.
We chose the best online psychiatry services based on the following criteria:
- Certifications: MNT only features psychiatry services that use board certified mental health professionals.
- Trust: MNT includes companies that operate transparently regarding their products, services, and leadership. Also, where relevant, MNT selects companies with certifications from reputable, third-party organizations.
- Business standards: MNT selects psychiatry providers that follow safe and ethical business and marketing practices.
- Reputation: MNT chooses companies without warnings from governing bodies or unresolved lawsuits.
- Cost: MNT chooses psychiatry services that suit a range of budgets. We also provide information on insurance coverage.
- Reviews: We look at genuine reviews on trustworthy third-party websites, including the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot, to provide accounts of customers’ real-world experiences with a service. We offer balanced reviews and highlight when services exceed or fall short of customer expectations.
Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more about our vetting process.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in treating mental health conditions, including prescribing medication. Online psychiatrists frequently hold appointments via a video or phone call. Some may even offer messaging services.
People may wish to consider how frequently they would use psychiatry services to determine the most cost-effective plan.
What conditions can online psychiatrists treat?
Psychiatrists can help treat several mental health conditions, including:
- anxiety
- depression
- bipolar disorder
- schizophrenia
- OCD
- addiction
- eating disorders
- insomnia
- thoughts of suicide or self-harm
- PTSD
Some psychiatrists may also help people with long-term or terminal physical health conditions.
Psychiatrists can help individuals manage the symptoms of their conditions through medication and other forms of treatment, such as psychotherapy.
Learn more about the services that online psychiatrists offer.
Help is out there
If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:
- Call or text the 988 Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Caring counselors are available to listen and provide free and confidential support 24/7.
- Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor for free and confidential support 24/7.
- Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
- Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.
If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.
If you’re not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.
Yes, psychiatrists can prescribe medication for mental health conditions. This can include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, and drugs that stabilize a person’s mood.
However, depending on their state, some people may have to have an in-person psychiatry appointment before a psychiatrist can prescribe them medication.
Can psychiatrists prescribe controlled substances?
According to the Ryan Haight Act of 2008, a psychiatrist can only prescribe a controlled substance if they conduct an in-person medical evaluation.
This means that online psychiatrists cannot prescribe controlled substances.
However, a psychiatrist could prescribe controlled substances if they have an agreement with someone’s primary care provider who consults with the patient in person.
Online and in-person psychiatry appointments are likely to be very similar.
In the first session, the psychiatrist may:
- verify the person’s identity
- explain how their service works
- request information on their medical history
- ask about current medication
- talk about the person’s expectations and goals for the sessions
- discuss therapy and other treatment options
- explain what to do in a mental health emergency
In later sessions, a person can discuss how their treatment affects them, whether it has improved their symptoms, and talk about how to manage side effects from medication. The psychiatrist can then amend a person’s prescription as necessary.
Online psychiatry allows individuals to communicate with a psychiatrist via video chat or phone call. Some may also offer messaging services. Online psychiatrists may benefit people who cannot see a psychiatrist in person due to their finances, location, or health.
During in-person visits, psychiatrists can perform a physical exam and measure the individual’s blood pressure, especially if they offer a medical plan. This may not be possible through online psychiatry services.
Those companies with messaging services may allow individuals to reach out to their psychiatrist more frequently than those who have in-person sessions.
What is the difference between psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists?
Psychiatrists specialize in working in psychiatry with people with phobias, schizophrenia, and depression, among other mental health conditions.
According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), they can prescribe medications or recommend counseling.
A therapist is a licensed doctor who can provide mental health care sessions. They can also be counselors or psychologists.
They assess people’s past and recent life events and relationships to help them work through their problems. They also find the causes holding individuals back from moving further in their lives.
A person’s insurance coverage will affect how much psychiatry will cost.
The cost of using online psychiatry platforms can range from $30 to $365, depending on insurance coverage, location, and the psychiatrist’s qualifications. An initial consultation is often more expensive than follow-up appointments.
Insurance coverage for psychiatry
Most insurance companies will have a level of coverage for mental health services, including psychiatry. Some insurance providers may cover the full cost of the service, while others may only partially cover it.
In some cases, an insurance provider may cover medication costs but not the psychiatry session itself.
A person should check their insurance plan and which partners the service they want to use works with. Some online psychiatry services claim they can lower costs by not accepting insurance.
An increasing number of people are seeking and receiving video-based psychiatric consultations.
Research from 2022 suggests that telepsychiatry is a reliable and effective substitute for in-person therapeutic consultations. Studies within this work indicate that telepsychiatry and face-to-face psychiatric care have comparable clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction levels.
However, there is also evidence that people communicate differently on videoconferencing calls. This may lead to ethically relevant changes in the relationship between a person and their psychiatrist and therapy results.
The American Psychiatric Association recommends that individuals consult a therapist if they have any of the following:
- nervousness
- increased absenteeism in school or at work
- mood changes
- reduced interest in performing tasks
- nervousness
If the symptoms interfere with the individual’s life, making it difficult to focus on work or hobbies, they may have a mental health condition.
Online psychiatry can be just as effective as in-person psychiatry, although it is typically an expensive service to use.
Doctors on the Talkiatry platform may be able to prescribe someone Adderall if they think it is medically appropriate and it is legal to do so in their state without seeing the person face to face.
Talkiatry notes that there is no guarantee that a Talkiatry clinician will agree with a person’s past diagnoses or treatment plans.
Online psychiatrists cannot prescribe Xanax as it is a controlled substance. According to the Ryan Haight Act, a federal law, psychiatrists cannot prescribe controlled substances to people they have not met in face-to-face appointments.
Although an online psychiatrist could agree to prescribe controlled substances if a person has seen their primary care provider in person and they have discussed it with the primary care provider, Talkspace says it cannot prescribe controlled substances.
Amwell cannot prescribe Xanax as it is a controlled substance.
Psychiatrists can diagnose and treat mental health conditions. They may prescribe medication or recommend other treatments, such as psychotherapy.
Various online companies offer virtual appointments with a licensed psychiatrist. Many of these psychiatrists can also prescribe medication.
Companies either require payment for each appointment or offer a subscription service. However, in many cases, they accept health insurance to help cover the costs of their services.