For our second blog in our weekly Wheel of LifeTM series, we’d like to shine a light on mental wellbeing.
A recent study estimates that 792 million people live with a mental health condition worldwide.
This is slightly more than one in ten people globally (10.7%). Although it is worth noting the figure could be much higher, as mental health issues remain widely under-reported.
Poor mental health can pose a huge impact physical health, leading to an increased risk of some serious conditions. Therefore, it’s vital to look at physical and mental health together and understand the holistic overview of one’s health – which is the main reason behind our newly-launched Wheel of Life TM Digital Health Engagement Platform.
About Mental Wellbeing
As mentioned in our previous blog on physical health, the healthier our minds are, the better outcomes for our physical health or overall wellbeing, and vice versa.
Our Wheel of LifeTM Digital Health Engagement Platform encompasses seven different categories, with the aim to measure holistic health as accurately as possible. These categories include: physical health, mental wellbeing, activity, sleep, mindfulness, self-control and nutrition.
Within our Wheel of LifeTM mental wellbeing category, we focus on the data that represents our mental wellbeing.
By carrying out an evidence based psychological assessment through our digital coach, we can scientifically determine with a single number between 0 and 1,000 how healthy a user’s mind and psyche is. This is the sub-score for their mental wellbeing category.
Our smart coach will ask a set of expert-curated questions during the psychological assessment of the user.
As the coach learns more about the user it is able to suggest tailored goals and mental wellbeing articles to read to help them enhance their overall lifestyle and alleviate any particular pain points they may be experiencing.
Mental Wellbeing in our Wheel of LifeTM
Physical Or Emotional Pain
Did you know that physical pain and emotional pain are almost identical to our brains?
Recent studies have shown a substantial overlap in our neurological response to physical and emotional pain. Social pain, like physical pain, may serve an adaptive evolutionary function, which may explain its similarities with physical pain.
Therefore, it is important to understand emotional or social distress and to manage it just as carefully as physical pain.
Emotional Or Physical State Interfering With Activities
When we experience physical or emotional distress, it can vastly affect our daily lives and activities. It can lead to a feeling of frustration and hopelessness that could end up with anxiety, or serious chronic diseases.
Our engaging digital coach will ask users whether their physical or emotional state interferes with their daily activities in order to spot early signs of distress and raise awareness about the importance of early intervention.
Feelings Of Depression
When it comes to depression, very much like other mental health issues, it is still quite taboo to open up about it. Our evidence based psychological assessment will entice users to be honest with themselves and start a frank conversation about whether one feels depressed or sad frequently. Other similar questions are posed to find out about whether one feels good about the future, their social interactions, themselves or their life in general.
If signs of depression are displayed, the coach will prompt the relevant user to talk to a medical practitioner or contact their doctor.
This could be just the push the user needs to stop depression on its tracks and get involved in early treatment, which is absolutely crucial.
Mental Health Matters
Recent trending hashtags on social channels and latest trends in the global media point to the general public increasingly opening up about mental health and wellbeing. It is just as vital to talk about mental wellness as it is to talk about physical health.
Now brands, including insurance operators and corporate wellness providers, need to respond to this new movement of mental health awareness and provide tangible solutions for their consumers to know that they care about and empathize with them.
Consequently, implementing Wheel of LifeTM for your consumers or employees will empower them to lead holistically healthier lifestyles, and will lead to reducing the pay-outs, medical costs or sick absence leave too.
Let’s get your digital health engagement strategy in place.
Request a complimentary Wheel of LifeTM demo today.
Every week we will be releasing a dedicated article on one of the seven different categories of our Wheel of LifeTM. Come back next Thursday to read our next blog on the sleep category!
