Bupa offers online mental health help
Employees are keeping silent about their mental health conditions at work during the pandemic – even though their job has been a contributing factor for many.
A study of 3,614 employees by Bupa in partnership with Business in the Community found that only 14% of workers disclosed to their manager that they were suffering from a mental health issue.
And a third of people who have experienced work-related mental ill-health have told no one, with men significantly more likely to keep their condition a secret (35%) compared with women (26%).
Work-related pressure in the pandemic was identified as the most common cause of mental health issues (51%), while another 35% put symptoms down to workload, long hours and not taking leave.
A third of participants said their mental ill-health was caused by not being supported in their role, potentially an indication of their reluctance to share their circumstances.
Bupa is now expanding access to mental and behavioural health platform SilverCloud for its corporate customers at no extra charge via Bupa Touch, its online customer portal.
SilverCloud supports employees in developing resilience and wellbeing strategies, helping prevent everyday mental stresses and strains from developing into more serious issues.
Bupa and SilverCloud has previously partnered to offer selected mental health services, but this is the first time the healthcare company is offering SilverCloud to its entire base of corporate health insurance customers at no extra charge.
Mark Allan
Mark Allan, commercial director at Bupa UK Insurance, said: ‘Although mental health has come to the fore during the global pandemic, and addressing these issues is a priority for many businesses, the research shows that a good number of employees feel uncomfortable turning to their manager for help.
‘While businesses around the country are focused on creating cultures that are open about mental health, it can be difficult for workers, especially when working remotely, to have these kinds of complex conversations.
‘SilverCloud offers a digital route for these employees to seek mental health support and take further action, if needed.’