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Digital technology:Digital technology:Transforming mental health and Transforming mental health and wellbeing in the workplacewellbeing in the workplace
Nicky RunecklesCommercial Director
70 million working days lost to mental illness(Leading cause of sickness
absence in UK)
Since 2009 sick days (stress, depression &
anxiety) increased by 24%
Workplace Mental Health
£70bn cost to UK
economy
75% of those with a diagnosable mental illness
receive no treatment at all
People with poor mental health die
15 – 20 years earlier
1 in 4 impacted
The good news...
• Nick Clegg – mental health on front page of manifesto
• Time to change campaign – Mind & Rethink
• Mindful employer – over 1,200 employers signed up (1.4m people)
• Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report – focused on mental health
• Norman Lamb’s challenge to all FTSE 100 companies
• Weekly stories in media – in people’s consciousness
The big BUT (1)....
The big BUT (2)...
‘Well-being in mental health is one poorly evidenced strand of a much bigger picture, and I recommend that bigger picture to policy makers. If we take the lead from the WHO and frame the subject as ‘mental health promotion’, ‘mental illness prevention’ and ‘treatment and rehabilitation’ then it becomes immediately apparent that we already have a good deal of evidence supporting a public health approach to mental health, and that effective and cost-effective interventions should be the priority”
Prof Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, 2014
Are employee wellbeing programmes actually having an impact?
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So what does digital offer?
Employees find tools they need to self manage to improve and maintain psychological well-being
Anonymous and secure online environment for employees, available 24/7
24/7 professionally-facilitated, clinically-supported, evidence-driven
And what results does that deliver?
73%Share an
issue for the first time
80%Self manage
95%Members feel
better
Available for 27% of the UK adult population, over 25,000 members...
With high levels of employee engagement
67%Take less sick
time for mental health
reasons
76%Report
improved productivity at
work
What do others say about it?
Big White Wall Member:
“I’ve always worked in a stressful environment, been an anxious type of guy, worry about stuff that I didn’t really need to, but I’ve always been able cope & deal with those situations in life & be able to move on. Well that was until the year before last....
...diagnosed with depression & anxiety my GP suggested I look at a support site called Big White Wall, I had a look & thought it could be useful...
I wasn’t alone anymore, depression does that to you, isolates you from life, from the world, but there was this community of people who I guess were all isolated, all in the same place, well that’s what it felt like.
My recovery could be described as a bit of a jigsaw, there are a number of different pieces that have helped put me back together again.... but most of all my constant, The Big White Wall. For my constant, I will always be grateful.”
Dr Justin Varney, National Lead for Adults and Older People's Health and Wellbeing, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Public Health England:
“Big White Wall provides a unique offer of 24 hour access to peer-to-peer support but most importantly there is clinical oversight, and 24 hour access to clinical support for all our staff through the Wall Guides and the online counselling and facilitated groups. We have a national footprint of locations, staff working shifts, and some who are going overseas, so having this 24 hour 365 days a year clinically-supported network suited our needs, and year into the contract it is going well.”
So, my questions...
Our politicians and our organisations’ leaders are now recognising the importance of good mental health in the workplace, BUT...
1.Is fear of discrimination still preventing people accessing support - are traditional services meeting the need?
2.What’s the evidence that positive wellbeing programmes designed for all actually work - do we need a more targeted approach?
