Figures collated from 400 of RedArc’s patients over a five-year period show that early intervention is crucial in treating mental health conditions, in data collected ahead of World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2018.
Based on the PHQ9 and GAD7 questionnaires commonly used to diagnose and measure the severity of anxiety and depression, where early clinical assessments are in place, 88% of patients show improvements in their condition after just a four-month period of tailored support and therapy from RedArc. Of those:
- 77% improved from Severe Anxiety or Depression to Moderate or less
- And 91% improved from Moderate-Severe Anxiety or Depression to Moderate or less.
RedArc warns that in cases where patients are not able to benefit from early intervention, treatment is often delayed whilst waiting for NHS referrals, during which time the condition can escalate, require longer-term treatment, potentially a longer spell of absence from work and a postponement of normal, everyday life.
Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc says:
“Employees and direct customers are becoming increasingly aware that some insurers and employers go that extra mile to build in added-value services, such as mental health support, within their policies. There is clear evidence to show that early intervention is crucial, so those insurers and employers who do not currently offer this type of support should be asking themselves ‘why not?’”
RedArc also cautions that whilst many people traditionally think of counselling as the cure, there is an increasing number of other therapies that can also help depending on the circumstances, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR); but it is important that needs are clinically assessed by a qualified mental health nurse who understands the relevance of the different therapies to each patient.
Husbands continues:
“Offering added-value services is by no means simply a charitable course of action, but for the insurer it can lead to reduced claims, more touch points with the customer, and engender greater customer loyalty. Similarly, an employer that offers these benefits via a group insurance product, will also see increased staff loyalty which can lead to reduced recruitment costs, and fewer and shorter staff absences which again reduces recruitment costs for temporary cover too.
“With transparency being encouraged and coerced in various areas in the corporate world, it may not be unreasonable to foresee a world in the not too distant future where organisations are compelled to report on their employee mental health provision. The Stevenson Farmer report* shares a vision where employers routinely monitor the mental health of their employees, and transparency and accountability is improved through internal and external reporting.”