According to the Office for National Statistics, 10 million people reported feeling depressed during the Covid pandemic.
This is twice the number of people compared to pre-Covid times - before lockdowns and restrictions on movement and seeing family, friends and colleagues came into place.
That may now have eased for some, but many are still experiencing lingering mental health difficulties brought on by the pandemic. As mental health issues are one of the most common reasons for long-term sickness, making mental health a priority is an investment that pays for itself.
What can HR do to prevent mental health issues?
It’s clear that for many, simply offering a free gym membership isn’t enough to improve mental wellbeing. Providing effective support for employees’ mental wellbeing requires far more action.
What’s required are services that can support your employees 24/7, which also provide immediate access to professional healthcare advice, and the kinds of online tools that only an experienced and dedicated supplier can provide.
That’s where we at Mindler come in, offering dedicated healthcare services to individuals looking for mental health support.
We’ve noticed that the pressure on employees is growing exponentially. This pressure will, in turn, put more pressure on HR. Add to Covid the rising costs of simply keeping a family fed and warm, and you have a situation where the stresses of work are going to be further impacted by the growing stresses of home.
Delivering effective mental health solutions for business
The good news is that there are dedicated healthcare providers who can deliver the solutions you require – in a cost-effective, accessible way. Mindler is one of them.
Starting in Sweden, but now operating in several European countries, including the UK, we’re specialists in providing mental health support services for businesses and employees.
We have a dedicated team of psychologists, all trained to a doctoral level. Using an app, patients can choose their own psychologist, and then book an online appointment at a time that suits them.
This can be at home when the kids have been put to bed, or even during their office lunch break, whatever works best for the patient.
Appointments can even be booked the same day, as we have short waiting times. The sessions are backed up with rigorously developed self-help programmes, which patients can follow depending on the treatment required, and that work alongside video appointments with psychologists. All this puts the patient in total control of their treatment.
The process is also, as you’d expect, totally private and confidential. The employer will never know just who is accessing the service. However, data covering the problems brought up among patients, be that stress or other workplace related issues, are reported back to the employer who can then act on any active issues that may need urgent attention, and, hopefully, prevent the same issue arising with others.
Employers can offer all of this to their employees from as little as £9.99 per month per employee.
New reality, new solutions
Even before COVID, 40 percent of us (according to NHS England figures) will experience some form of mental health difficulty during our lifetime.
We know that the pandemic, and the lifestyle changes brought on as a result of this, have caused additional stress to work life. This is the new reality we all have to deal with, but with the right tools and support, it is possible to ensure that every employee can have access to the best possible mental health advice, resources and treatment, should they require it.
This access not only lifts a weight off the shoulders of HR and the senior team, but is a great health benefit to employees, which can really deliver not only reassurance, but a direct boost to employees’ wellbeing. Whichever way you look at it, it’s an investment that really can bring excellent returns for both you and your people.
By Siobhan Jones, consultant clinical psychologist and lead psychologist for Mindler UK
To find out more about deliver cost-effective support to ensure the long term mental health of your employees, click here.
