Advisers can help tackle the financial difficulties brought on as a result of mental illness by providing support and advice on suitable protection products, insurers have claimed.
According to research from Axa PPP Healthcare, one-third of workers in Britain have lived with mental ill health - a problem which has been described by Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc, as an "iceberg".
In a study of more than 4,000 UK adults, who are in full or part-time work, 36 per cent have lived with mental health problems, while 52 per cent admitted to facing financial difficulties. A further 30 per cent have cited problems with physical ill health.
Of those workers who say they had suffered with their mental health 81 per cent have also had physical health issues, and 52 per cent of those with mental health problems have experienced severe adverse effects on their financial situation at the same time.
This is a “triple threat” to the workforce, many of whom do not understand what sort of employee benefits packages their employer offers, or what conditions might be covered by workplace healthcare benefits.
Employers with group risk protection often fail to use the full support within such products to help their staff. Katharine MoxhamDr Mark Winwood, director of psychological services for Axa PPP Healthcare, commented: “When employees are experiencing financial problems or have a mental health or physical health issue, the link between these areas of wellbeing may lead to their negative experience being exacerbated.
“It’s a potentially toxic mix that calls for careful handling. When considering wellbeing initiatives, employers would be wise to take a holistic approach to enable employees to maintain their mental, physical and financial wellbeing.
“This may involve providing suitable support to help them manage their problems, such as an employee assistance programme, and other online resources and helplines, such as those provided by the mental health charity, Mind, and Citizens Advice.”
He urged employers to support their staff more through such issues - although as Katharine Moxham, spokesman for Group Risk Development (Grid) has highlighted, too often employers do not do enough to promote the benefits of group risk protection within the workplace.
She said: “Employers with group risk protection often fail to use the full support within such products to help their staff.”
Such services can include support for mental health, employee assistance programmes, mental health first aid training and fast-track access to counselling.
However, research carried out by Grid revealed 50 per cent of employers who offer products such as group critical illness, group income protection and group life assurance, do not make use of the support services that come as part of the contract.
She said: “Although generally we may be more willing to talk about mental health today, many employees are still reticent to talk to their employer about their own mental health needs.
“Group Risk protection policies can be a great support by providing direct access to specialists and practical help when it’s most needed, and of course, getting the most out of these services means using them as they are intended - every day. This, in turn, can reinforce the position of a business as a caring organisation as well as giving vital support to people when they most need it.”
She urged companies to communicate to their employees the full range of benefits that come as part of their group risk protection products and encourage their staff to use these.
One service provided in many group risk schemes is Red Arch, which has personal nurse advisers that can help employees and their families who are struggling with mental health issues.
However, in an analysis of more than 4,000 cases in the UK, RedArc revealed the whole insurance industry - not just employers - has failed to understand properly the complexities of supporting a client with mental health conditions.
Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc, said: "Being diagnosed with a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression is only the tip of the iceberg.
“For many people, the auxiliary concerns weigh just as heavily as the specific diagnosis. Many people need access to specialist support and an independent expert can help alleviate the individual’s worries and support them into making a quicker, fuller recovery and managing a return to work, if appropriate.”
RedArc’s patient research shows that people with mental health conditions have three main areas of concern, aside from their specific illness. These typically fall into the following categories:
Work & Finances
Debts and not being able to ‘afford’ to be off sick
Not being able to face colleagues
Pressure to return to work quickly and lack of ‘managed’ phase back
Fatigue – feeling exhausted upon returning to work
Feeling of failure or inability to do their job as before
Emotional wellbeing
Shame and stigma of having a mental health problem
Loss of confidence
Withdrawal from other areas of their life such as relationships, family, social groups
Lack of control over emotions
NHS/Treatment
Lack of understanding about how to best navigate the NHS
Ensuring continuation of treatment
Lack of funding for appropriate treatment
GP support lacking
Ms Husbands added: “It is encouraging that many health insurers are now providing personal nurse adviser support for their clients, both directly and via employers, so that people have access to third-party qualified medical staff who have time to take a holistic view of the patient.”
However, she urged more insurers to consider how they can enhance their services in this way, as “some have been quicker than others to incorporate such additional services to support their offering”.
