It isn’t surprising that the Canadian Mental Health Association reported 41 per cent of adults saw a decline in their mental health due to the coronavirus pandemic — it’s been the perfect storm of stressors, particularly for people living with obesity, said Stéphanie Ipavec-Levasseur, product director of health insurance at Desjardins Insurance, during Benefits Canada‘s 2021 […]
Mental health is the leading cause of disability for Canadian employers of all types, sectors and sizes, with 70 per cent of employers saying expanding access to mental-health care is a top priority. Speaking during a Tech Insights spotlight session at Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit, Anna Chif, co-founder and chief strategy and product officer […]
The coronavirus pandemic has significantly increased the number of mental-health supports that employees have access to as well as their willingness to seek help when they need it, said Georgia Pomaki, leader of mental-health specialists, wellness, disability and life at Manulife Financial Corp., during Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit. Canadian insurers paid out $420 […]
Mental health is a major pandemic in and of itself, with surveys showing a 300 per cent increase in people reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the availability of hundreds of drug treatments, rates of mental illness continue to increase and “there hasn’t been any pharmacotherapy innovation for mental illness,” […]
With about one in eight individuals struggling with migraine, there’s a significant overlap between migraine and mental health, according to Dr. Rob Tanguay, psychiatrist and president of the Pain Society of Alberta, during Benefits Canada‘s 2021 Mental Health Summit. People living with migraine have a two- to four-times increased risk of having a depressive disorder compared […]
When Nasreen, a 32-year-old marketing manager at a Toronto firm, started to suffer from anxiety and depression related to her isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, her manager and colleagues took notice. Nasreen, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, was experiencing increased presenteeism and absenteeism as she suffered from an increasing number of […]
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure — and nowhere is that more true than when it comes to workplace mental-health supports, said Colleen Adams, manager of health and digital product solutions at Medavie Blue Cross, during a session at Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit. Even before the pandemic, the cost […]
When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, Fluor Canada was ready with ample mental-health supports for its employees, all thanks to a mental-health strategy the company had put in place years ago and has continued to build on. It began in 2018 when Fluor Canada’s newly appointed senior management team wanted to renew the […]
Benefits plans with a wide range of mental-health supports are taking on new importance as employers look to attract and retain key talent in a tight labour market, said Julie Gaudry, head of group insurance at RBC Insurance Inc., during Benefits Canada’s 2021 Mental Health Summit. One third of Canadian businesses are currently grappling with […]
KPMG in Canada is supporting its transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse employees with a new gender affirmation policy. Stephanie Braid, director of inclusion, diversity and equity at KPMG in Canada, says the policy provides employees who are in the process of affirming their gender with a complete support plan, including how to announce a name change […]