How is your mental health?
Most of us can answer this question based on a general understanding of how we feel during the day. But in terms of clinical evaluation? We are flying blind.
“Human potential is centered around mental health,” says Dr. Oliver Harrison, CEO of digital mental health platform Koa Health. In addition to helping employers provide support to their employees, the company aims to help all users understand their baseline mental health status – which can guide care options and solutions for employers and employees, says Dr. Harrison. “Helping people understand where they are on the (mental health) spectrum and making sure these different forms of support are available widely to the workforce is the right thing to do for people who support your business.”
Koa identifies where a person is in their mental health journey via a short, private digital assessment, then gives them a “mental health number” and directs them to recommended referrals. resources which range from educational materials, expert-approved preventative care and self-care, to clinical services.
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A study by One Medical found that 64% of workers struggle with various mental health issues. Even if employees don’t feel like they’re in this category, everyone can improve their mental health, says Dr. Harrison. Digital health solutions can be a necessary first step toward care: regional access to in-person therapists is no longer an issue, and concerns about stigma dissipate when support is available via a screen.
Providing this easy entry point can bring significant benefits to businesses: people with mental wellbeing issues are four times more likely to quit their job like those who are not, according to a recent McKinsey report.
“The brain creates the source of our creativity, our ability to form relationships, our ability to process information, make decisions and accomplish tasks,” explains Dr. Harrison. “There are very strong moral arguments for enabling people to realize their human potential, but there are also strong business arguments. Businesses need as many creative and productive people as possible to be successful. And yet we failed to reach the summit. of this.”
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Among employees fortunate enough to have access to mental health benefits, 68% report not using these employer-provided options because access was time-consuming and confusing, according to Deloitte. Easy-to-use digital tools can eliminate some of this friction and get employees on the path to trusting the resources available.
Dr. Harrison reminds employers to prioritize privacy and advocacy. Employees across the organization can be powerful advocates for mental health, and these “informal leaders” need to be identified by teams and equipped with knowledge so that they can be effective guides to their colleagues and , with all other efforts, prevent the subject from fading away. professional experience, he said.
“Mental health symptoms – nights where you can’t sleep, anxious thoughts, fears for yourself and the health of your loved ones – everyone experiences these,” he says. “For business leaders, talking about their own experiences is very encouraging to team members. Explain why it is important that we all proactively address our own mental health. If we can start these conversations locally within our immediate groups, they spread quickly. throughout the organization. »
