In the coming five years, Canadians can expect to see the next stage of awareness around mental health, according one health expert. “Where we need to build on awareness is what the illness actually looks like. There’s still quite a lack of knowledge out there and I believe that’s improving greatly every day,” said Chris Anderson, president of Medaca Health […]
Among Canadians who have missed work due to disability, 30 per cent cited mental illness, according to a new survey by RBC Insurance. The survey, which questioned about 1,500 Canadians, found that while 65 per cent of respondents, respectively, view physical accidents and multiple sclerosis as disabilities, about half (47 per cent) cited depression as a disability, […]
Eighty-five per cent of Canadians said mental-health services are among the most underfunded in the health-care system, according to a new survey commissioned by the Canadian Mental Health Association. The survey accompanies a national policy paper, which calls for new legislation to address unmet mental-health needs and bring mental-health care into balance with physical health care. It also found 86 […]
HumanaCare has completed the integration and re-launch of its virtual health platform TranQool. The platform, which the employee health services company acquired in May 2018, will be available to more than 1.3 million Canadians through partnerships with HumanaCare, and allows individuals to access virtual counselling and therapy services. Read: HumanaCare acquires virtual health-care platform “We are excited to […]
The Great-West Life Assurance Co. has partnered with Morneau Shepell Ltd. to offer web-based cognitive behavioural therapy to plan members receiving disability benefits for a mental-health condition. The program became available on June 4 to employers in Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Halifax, St. John’s and those cities’ surrounding areas, with plans expand the offering to the rest […]
SSQ Life Insurance Co. Inc. is partnering with genetic testing company BiogeniQ Inc. to offer some plan members suffering from depression the chance to undergo testing aimed at identifying the appropriate treatment. Following the testing, which will be available to some SSQ plan members on disability leave for depression, a physician will use the information to […]
Green Shield Canada and Morneau Shepell Inc. are both making web-based cognitive behavioural therapy available to plan sponsors and members. Green Shield Canada’s service, provided by MindBeacon Software Inc., will be available Aug. 1. It allows plan members aged 16 and over with a mental illness unlimited access to an online therapist for up to 12 weeks […]
Employees at Corus Entertainment Inc. have a certain fondness for dogs. After a successful pilot in February and a popular followup session in March, Corus is bringing back its popular dog day to its downtown Toronto office on May 18 as part of the company’s mental-health month activities. According to Cheryl Fullerton, executive vice-president of […]
A new review by the Institute for Work and Health has found that while generic cognitive behavioural therapy can help employees with symptoms of depression remain at work, it doesn’t have an effect on helping them return to their jobs. The review found, however, that work-focused cognitive behavioural therapy can help depressed employees both stay […]
Plan sponsors looking to integrate pharmacogenetic testing into their benefits plan will soon have lots of information to consider as Canada’s biggest insurance companies roll out pilot projects and research begins to shed light on the return on investment. “The market is expanding. Insurers are piloting projects. You will hear a lot about pharmacogenetics over the next 12 months,” said […]