Cope Notes
{{Short description|Virtual mental health service}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Cope Notes
| logo = Cope_Notes,_Logo,_2024.png
| logo_size =
| type = Private
| parent =
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2018}}
| founders = Johnny Crowder
| hq_location =
| area_served = Worldwide
| services =
| industry = Telehealth
| homepage = {{url|https://www.copenotes.com}}
}}
Cope Notes is an American telehealth-based mental health service. The company "sends subscribers positive thoughts and affirmations to help combat depression and anxiety".{{cite news |last=Cridlin |first=Jay |title=Tampa mental health service Cope Notes wins Startup of the Year prize |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2022/01/28/tampa-mental-health-service-cope-notes-wins-startup-of-the-year-prize/ |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=28 January 2022}} Each message contains psychology facts, exercises, and journaling prompts that are "reviewed, edited and approved by a panel of mental health professionals".
As of May 2025, Cope Notes had over 40,000 users across 97 countries.{{cite AV media |last=Ryan |first=Wendy |date=1 May 2025 |title=Free daily text service supports mental well-being for students and staff |url=https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/anchors-report/free-daily-text-service-supports-mental-well-being-for-students-and-staff |format=Video |work=ABC News |access-date=9 May 2025}} Through the end of 2024, the service reported having sent over 4 million messages to its subscribers.{{cite news |last=Rubin |first=Anjelica |title=25 Startups to Watch in 2025: These are the rising stars shaping Tampa Bay's innovation landscape |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/inno/stories/news/2025/01/03/25-startups-to-watch-in-2025.html |work=Tampa Bay Business Journal |date=3 January 2025}}
History
Cope Notes was founded in 2018 by Johnny Crowder, an American musician, public speaker, and Certified Recovery Peer Specialist.{{cite news |last=Eichman |first=Melissa |title=Cope Notes offers mental health support through text messages |url=https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2022/10/18/cope-notes-for-mental-health- |work=Bay News 9 |date=18 October 2022}} According to the Tampa Bay Times, the company "sends subscribers positive thoughts and affirmations to help combat depression and anxiety". The content is sent via text message at least once per day, at random times. According to the company's FAQ, each message is "reviewed, edited and approved by a panel of mental health professionals".{{cite news |title=A suicide survivor turned mental health advocate discusses coping during the pandemic |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/08/12/coronavirus-johnny-crowder-spc.cnn |work=CNN |format=Video |date=12 August 2020}}{{cite news |last=Ryan |first=Wendy |title=Text message service can improve how you feel and disrupt negative thinking |url=https://www.abcactionnews.com/rebound/coronavirus-stress/text-message-service-can-improve-how-you-feel-and-disrupt-negative-thinking |work=ABC News |date=17 March 2021}}{{cite news |last=Rankin |first=Charles |title=Saline County invests in residents' mental health by partnering with text message program Cope Notes |url=https://www.salina.com/story/news/2022/02/13/saline-county-partners-mental-health-texting-program-cope-notes-arpa/6661816001/ |work=Salina Journal |date=13 February 2022}} Users are encouraged to respond to the messages, using the text thread as a journal.{{cite news |last=Griffin |first=Justine |title=A support group in your phone. Healing for mental illness comes one text at a time. |url=https://www.tampabay.com/health/a-support-group-in-your-phone-healing-for-mental-illness-comes-one-text-at-a-time-20190222/ |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=22 February 2019}}
The idea for Cope Notes began as an unnamed in-person support group, which formed after Crowder graduated from college. That group transitioned into a virtual peer support group, where many attendees opted into the SMS option, influencing Crowder to create a mental health-based texting service.{{cite news |last=Coffey |first=Lauren |title=Going Beyond Inspirational Quotes: the Tampa-Based Preventative Mental Health Service |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/inno/stories/news/2020/01/05/going-beyond-inspirational-quotes-the-tampa-based.html |work=Tampa Bay Business Journal |date=5 January 2020}} Crowder, a touring musician, used his time traveling between performances with his heavy metal bands, Dark Sermon and Prison, to develop the service. The development of Cope Notes was also influenced by Crowder’s interactions with fans at shows, tailoring the service to meet their needs.{{cite news |last=Llovio |first=Louis |title=Music Man in the Boardroom |url=https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2021/jul/15/music-man-in-the-boardroom/ |work=Business Observer |date=15 July 2021}}
In a 2025 Tampa Bay Business Journal article, it was reported that Cope Notes' services were included in UnitedHealthcare's Florida Medicaid contract, partnering with UnitedHealthcare for a five-year statewide agreement. Cope Notes had previously signed a pilot contract with UnitedHealth Group, distributing its services through UnitedHealthcare and Optum.
=Studies=
In May 2022, a study was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research where researchers found a majority of participants in the study "appreciate the service for reframing their mental wellness (86%) with statistically significant correlations between personality and acceptability of the service", while some participants "prefer a more personalized experience" (14%).{{cite journal |last1=King |first1=Sayde Leya |last2=Lebert |first2=Jana |last3=Karpisek |first3=Lacey Anne |last4=Phillips |first4=Amelia |last5=Neal |first5=Tempestt |last6=Kosyluk |first6=Kristin |title=Characterizing User Experiences With an SMS Text Messaging–Based mHealth Intervention: Mixed Methods Study |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |date=May 2022 |volume=6 |issue=5 |pages=e35699 |doi=10.2196/35699 |doi-access=free |pmid=35503524 |pmc=9115655 }}
In March 2023, a study was published in the Journal of Mental Health where researchers found that "participants with severe depression experienced a significant decrease in anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as perceived stress" and "showed a significant increase in emotional intelligence" after using Cope Notes for 1 month.{{cite news |last=San Felice |first=Selene |title=Tampa startup Cope Notes is the text big thing in mental health |url=https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2023/05/12/mental-health-startup-texts-cope-notes |work=Axios |date=12 May 2023}} Participants with mild to moderate symptoms also experienced an "increase in overall coping and problem-focused coping skills".{{cite journal |last1=Kosyluk |first1=Kristin |last2=Tran |first2=Jennifer |last3=King |first3=Sayde |last4=Torres |first4=Katie |last5=Neal |first5=Tempestt |title=Preliminary effectiveness study of the Cope Notes digital mental Health program |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638237.2023.2182424 |journal=Journal of Mental Health |date=12 March 2023|volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=625–633 |doi=10.1080/09638237.2023.2182424 |pmid=36908166 }}{{cite news |last1=Weisner |first1=Lindsay |last2=Quirk |first2=Michelle |title=Is My Child's Mental Health at Risk at College? |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-venn-diagram-life/202504/is-my-childs-mental-health-at-risk-at-college |work=Psychology Today |date=7 April 2025}} The study's participants consisted of 64 people, a majority of whom were white women and students attending the University of South Florida.
In 2025, a case study was published on the effects of Cope Notes amongst the faculty, staff, and students of over 100 Pasco, Desoto, and Charlotte county district schools where the service was distributed for free, resulting in 98.8% of respondents to a survey feeling "more positive and supported" and 85.4% of respondents stating that they used the service daily. The study was initiated by a 2024 partnership between Cope Notes and the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, which was later extended in 2025.{{cite news |last=Rubin |first=Anjelica |title=Cope Notes expands mental health support to more Florida school districts |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2025/02/25/cope-notes-central-fl-behavioral-health-network.html |work=Tampa Bay Business Journal |date=25 February 2025}}
Recognition
In 2020, Cope Notes was recognized as an honoree as part of Tampa Bay Inno’s Inno On Fire awards.{{cite news |last=Coffey |first=Lauren |title=Setting 2020 ablaze: Meet Tampa Bay's Inno on Fire honorees |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/inno/stories/awards/2020/10/15/tampa-bay-inno-on-fire-2020.html |work=Tampa Bay Business Journal |date=15 October 2020}}
In 2022, Cope Notes won the People's Choice award at the Startup of the Year summit, a national competition featuring tech firms, venture investors, and startups across the United States. The company was also ranked within the top 15 amongst the 100 semi-finalists recognized by the competition.
In 2024, the company was recognized as an honoree at the Tampa Bay Inno Awards, under the category of Healthtech.{{cite news |last=Strickland |first=Brooke |title=2024 Inno Awards |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/inno/stories/awards/2024/11/08/tampa-bay-inno-awards-2024.html |work=Tampa Bay Business Journal |date=8 November 2024}}