Cigna collaborates with online mental-health platforms

Cigna Corp. is collaborating with Happify Health and Prevail Health to offer employers access to the technology companies’ online mental-wellness platforms.

In January 2019, the platforms will be available to employers as part of Cigna’s total behavioural health program.

“We are continuing to expand and evolve our behavioural health solutions to support the wide and varying mental well-being needs of the people we serve,” said Julie McCarter, vice-president of product solutions at Cigna, in a press release. “It’s our hope these new digital tools will help empower people to actively engage in their mental health and make it easier to get support when they need it.”

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Happify’s platform offers activities, games and guided meditations based on the best practices of gaming science, positive psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, behavioural activation and solution-focused therapy.

Prevail, a private chat platform for people experiencing stress, also offers personalized guidance for  people with depression, substance use disorders and other mental-health problems.

“By enhancing the connection between mind and body, we can help people prevent serious health conditions and improve overall health and well-being,” said Scott Josephs, national medical officer at Cigna. “We put the individual customer at the centre of everything we do, and will continue to focus on delivering personalized tools and services to support the whole person in a simple and meaningful way.”

Read: Work-focused CBT can help depressed employees remain on the job