A Digital Doctor A Day Keeps the Blues Away
Lockdown restrictions, a loss of social interaction and economic pressures are all impacting people’s mental health. According to a study conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, 51% of people said that COVID-19 has negatively affected their mental health, and while many hoped the easing of lockdown restrictions and the reintegration of working in the workplace would improve mental health in adults, many have continued to live with the impact of the pandemic and the new concerns of conflict, economic instability and financial uncertainty.
Globally, there is a huge demand-supply gap in the mental health space. One in eight people in the world live with a mental disorder, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). With high treatment costs, and limited access to qualified therapists, not to mention huge waiting lists for treatment, employers are seeking ways to help their employees manage their mental health and well-being through clinically proven and scalable solutions
One clinically proven way for companies to provide and care for the mental health of their employees is by providing access to digital therapeutics (DTx).
What is the difference between general wellbeing apps and digital therapeutics?
Traditional health and wellness apps generally do little more than track activities such as sleep, exercise, and mood, for example menstruation trackers and meditation apps, in contrast, digital therapeutics (DTx) belong to a class of sophisticated, evidence-based software that can complement or even replace prescription drugs for managing certain health condition which include insomnia, depression, ADHD and anxiety
Specifically, DTx are apps and technologies that prevent, manage, and treat a specific disorder or disease. One of the largest differences between general wellness apps and DTx is that DTx must have clinical evidence to prove benefits and ensure safety. Government agencies certify and regulate DTx solutions because these products have a higher risk, and closer regulation makes sure they work as intended.
What’s on the market?
Sleepio, Thrive, Daylight and Wysa are four of the most popular and successful DTx apps currently available. All have international reach and provide quality support for thousands of users.
As of 22nd May, the app, Sleepio has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Excellence (NICE) as an effective alternative to sleeping pills.
Sleepio addresses unique needs with a personalized program, featuring sessions with step-by-step guidance through evidence-based techniques. In around 20 minutes per week, individuals can quiet their racing minds, reshape behaviours, and get better sleep.
Not only is Sleepio beneficial to the employee themselves, but it also has a financial benefit for employers; Sleepio use was shown to lower healthcare costs by around £1,800 per employee. A health economic evaluation with IBM Watson Health and a Fortune 500 employer demonstrated that Sleepio generated a significant per-employee health care cost reduction.
Daylight is a clinically proven digital therapeutic that helps people gain control over their anxiety. After a two-minute quiz to discover their Anxiety Type, individuals receive personalized techniques to help manage it.
Like Sleepio, Daylight adjusts evidence-based techniques and offers additional guidance based on an individual’s needs.
Providing a range of evidence-based tools to manage wellbeing. Thrive is designed as a day-to-day wellbeing app whilst also having the capability to support and intervene if it detects risks of certain conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression.
Thrive is a leading mental wellbeing digital tool for use by individuals and in the workplace for preventing mental health conditions by building resilience. It is used and recommended by the NHS.
Like Sleepio and Daylight, evidence is at the core of what Thrive does. Every Thrive tool and feature has been validated by research and is continually developed by experts.
Thrive is designed to be embedded into an organisation’s well-being approach, it can be rebranded with an organisation’s logo, and integrated with any support services already in place. The app becomes a one-stop-shop for employees to access any wellbeing services a company offers.
Wysa uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to triage users according to their personal needs, guiding them through appropriate, evidence-based CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) exercises within the app, towards other mental health services or crisis support. Wysa’s platform provides employers and health services insights into usage rates of Wysa and digital well-being tools, while maintaining user privacy.
Wysa successfully treats adults with for adults with a diagnosis of chronic musculoskeletal pain and associated depression and anxiety
In conclusion...
Building a workplace with good mental health – for both employees and employers- as a key priority raises morale, productivity, creativity, and ultimately your bottom line.
COVID-19 has completely altered the workplace whether it be the implementation of hybrid working or the continuously shifting safety precautions. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to be active, not reactive, to the mental wellbeing of their employees.
