While Health Canada’s approval of the first drug to specifically treat postpartum depression represents a clinical milestone in women’s mental health, one benefits expert says its impact on employer-sponsored drug plans is likely to be limited. Zuranolone, sold under the brand name Zurzuvae, is a 14-day oral treatment designed to provide rapid symptom relief for […]
Despite growing awareness of reproductive health, two-thirds (67 per cent) of global employees who have experienced fertility challenges say their workplaces don’t offer support for employees undergoing fertility treatment, according to a new survey by Fertility Matters. The survey — which polled more than 3,600 employees in Australia, France, Japan, Poland and the U.K. — […]
While society’s understanding of women’s health has significantly evolved in the last few years, employee benefits plans haven’t yet caught up. “We expect men and women to interact with their plan in the same way and that’s just not true,” said Erika Hatherly, strategic leader for drug programs, group benefits and retirement solutions at iA […]
A third (29 per cent) of Canadian workers say that they don’t have enough emergency savings to cover basic needs, according to Telus Health’s latest mental-health index. The survey, which polled roughly 3,000 employees, found the average mental-health score was 64, up from 63.1 in March. Anxiety (57) continued to be the lowest mental-health sub-score, […]
Gender differences in mental health manifest through biology, gender roles and cultural expectations, according to Carmen Bellows, registered psychologist and director of mental health solutions at Sun Life Financial Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Mental Health Summit. Taking all mental-health disorders into account, she said there are no gender differences in the […]
Mood, anxiety and related disorders are some of the most common conditions that arise in pregnancy and in the year after childbirth, according to Dr. Archana Vidyasankar, perinatal psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology in the faculty of medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, during a session supported by Biogen Canada […]
Women’s mental health has historically been underfunded and under-researched, with just three per cent of neuroscience and psychiatry studies between 2009 and 2019 conducted exclusively in females, compared to about 30 per cent in males, according to research cited by Manulife Canada’s Georgia Pomaki during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Mental Health Summit. Yet, […]
Although seasonal affective disorder is typically linked to the dark days of winter, summer can also bring its own mental-health challenges, including a lesser-known variant often called reverse seasonal depression. Fifteen per cent of Canadians report at least a mild case of seasonal affective disorder in their lifetime, according to the Canadian Psychological Association. While […]
When a plan member wants to lose weight but doesn’t know where to start or is unsure what their benefits plan covers, it can feel like a game of snakes and ladders, said Eveline Keable, strategic leader of health, wellness and disability for group benefits and retirement solutions at iA Financial Group, during Benefits Canada’s […]
Canadian employees who are on long-term disability leave are two-times more likely to claim for a chronic disease medication related to a secondary condition and three-times more likely to claim for medication treating two or more symptoms than those who aren’t on LTD, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc. The report […]