Mental health awareness took over the world after COVID-19 broke out, as many came to a realization that mental health is just as important as physical health. We’ve put together a list of companies that provide accessible mental health care.
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“Tackling the mental health impact of the COVID-19 crisis: An integrated, whole-of-society response” — OECD.
Mental health care for employees
“Using digital tech to support employees’ mental health and resilience” — McKinsey and Company.
Despite that this is not entirely news, companies and employers are becoming increasingly aware of how, in order to become more efficient and effective, employees need solid mental health care that actually meets their psychological issues, such as anxiety, depression, and even burnout. As the world tries to adapt to the changes the pandemic throws at it, the working environment and circumstances are also changing. Let’s take a look at startups that aim at helping companies overcome mental health challenges in workspaces.
Intellect
Intellect’s solutions for workforces
Being the fastest-growing startup in the Asia-Pacific, Intellect has been listed as one of Google’s Best Apps of 2020. Intellect is addressing the lack of accessibility in mental health care in Asia and the stigma that surrounds it. Where high-quality treatments and professional help, such as therapy services and digital wellness solutions, are often not accessible, this can be resolved by providing comprehensive mental health services in 11 languages used in the region in both D2C and B2B models. Their service includes personalized mental health care for individuals and workforces by integrating technology and the human touch, combining the services and expertise of behavioral coaches, licensed psychologists, and self-guided programs in one app. Read our Founder Spotlight of Intellect: Theodoric Chew here.
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“Following what I shared earlier, we believe that in Asia, a big part of our mission and work is to [change] the perception of how people perceive mental health & wellbeing; from one that is clinical to one that is relatable and happening every day. That is what drives us to constantly work towards making mental health stigma-free.” — Theodoric Chew, CEO and Co-Founder of Intellect.”
Headspace for Work
Headspace operates a B2B business (Headspace for Work) to offer its products and services to more than 700 companies, such as Starbucks, Adobe, General Electric, Hyatt, and Unilever, to help them build healthier, more productive work cultures and higher-performing organizations. They also support government entities like the New York State government and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) to offer digital mental health tools. Employees can get access to a variety of meditation guides and exercises, and employers are able to manage and see the impact of your program with your employer dashboard.
Talkspace
Talkspace for business
Talkspace is a digital behavioral technology healthcare company, whose signature product is a web and mobile platform that connects clients to a network of licensed therapists. Through their Talkspace for business, employees can make an appointment and schedule video sessions with a licensed mental health professional and monitor their own progress. It services 2.9 million members and has been validated by over 16 published efficacy studies in peer-reviewed journals.
Evolution of mental health technology
COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries — WHO survey.
According to a survey done by WHO, more than 60 percent of countries worldwide reported disruptions in mental health services in the second quarter of 2020: 67 percent saw disruptions in counseling and psychotherapy; 65 percent to critical harm reduction services; and 35 percent reported disruptions to emergency interventions.
Due to the increase in mental health market demand, mental health tech and gadgets are becoming more innovative and companies are finding new ways to cater to mental health issues. With the science and research to support them, these companies are changing and advancing the world of mental health technology.
Happify Health
Happify’s app
Happify offers personalized digital therapy and mental care solutions, partnering with top global pharma companies to create disease-specific solutions designed to address symptoms of comorbidity — ranging from pre-and post-prescription. Their team of researchers, clinicians, strategists, and writers publish their own content that provides insights into the industry. Happify was featured in The New York Times and Forbes.
Brain.fm
Brain.fm’s music helps people to focus.
Scientists at Brain.fm work with collaborators at academic institutions to run experiments on the brain and how it works. They hold patents on key brain processes, including eliciting strong neural phase-locking, allowing populations of neurons to engage in coordinated activity, and removing audio distractions.
Apollo Neuroscience
Apollo’s wearable technology.
Apollo is a wellness product, the first clinically validated device that actively helps your body recover from stress. It is a wearable device that you can either put on your wrist or ankle and promises “real time stress control for better sleep, focus, energy, calm and more” through novel touch therapy. The science behind the gadget was discovered by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh; they found out that the combination of low frequency sound waves inaudible to the human ear (you can only feel the vibration of the sound waves) can safely and reliably change how we feel through our sense of touch. According to scientists, people can measure these physiological changes in near-real-time.
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