Mental Health UK’s 2026 Burnout Report found the risk of stress turning into burnout is high, with more than 90% of adults experiencing extreme levels of stress in the last year and 20% of workers taking time off in 2025 due to poor mental health caused by stress.
Despite this, people still do not feel comfortable opening-up about stress, with 35% of workers choosing not to discuss stress with a manager – points touched on as part of the Keep Britain Working review.
There are several widely accepted lifestyle approaches that are shown to help people deal with stress, including eating well, time in nature, exercise and meditation.
But it is also widely recognised that we all deal with stress differently, and something that gives one person sleepless nights, may be a passing thought for another.
Things like our genetics, childhood experiences and personality all play a part in our resilience to stressful life events.
Seeking professional help for stress
When it comes to self-awareness and doing the deeper work to better understand how we operate as individuals, it can help to talk to an independent professional.
There are lots of evidence-based therapeutic modalities for managing stress, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and lots of specialists who offer these services. However, with so much choice it can be hard to know where to start.
Most protection policies today offer a range of mental health support across prevention, early intervention and mental health nurse support and rehabilitation.
The industry is doing a great job delivering fast access to care – in some cases providing immediate access to a telephone counsellor, clinical triage within 24 hours and structured therapy in days.
The role of the therapeutic alliance
Can prioritising speed, come at the cost of quality?
Sometimes quick access to a therapist does not mean quick access to the right therapist. Things like cultural background, communication style and shared experiences all matter, and help to foster safety between professional and patient. Something termed the therapeutic alliance.
Meela co-founder and CEO Tiffany Boswell explains that historically, allocation models in mental health have prioritised availability over compatibility.
She notes this approach optimises access, but it doesn’t necessarily optimise outcomes.
Evidence suggests that structured matching during the intake process can change this equation and optimise for both accessibility and outcomes.
Research has found when treatment is aligned with patient characteristics and preferences, the likelihood of completing therapy and achieving goals can be approximately twice as high compared to less tailored approaches, she concludes.
The importance of treatment completion
Premature drop out from therapy sits around the 50% mark.
From an insurer perspective, this may first appear as a short-term cost saving, but what are the longer-term implications?
When someone drops out of therapy early, the need does not disappear. That therapy cost, potentially now larger, pops up further down the line.
NHS Talking Therapies data indicates that individuals who don’t complete their treatment are approximately three times more likely to re-enter care within 12 months, compared to those who complete treatment.
Disability insurance consultant Monica Garcia highlights the importance of bespoke interventions for protection insurance customers and concurs that having the possibility to choose a therapist based on specific parameters would promote engagement and therapeutic benefit.
Speed of access still matters, because we know delays can worsen symptoms, could things like therapist compatibility be built into mental health pathways with functionality that enables policyholders to change therapists if the fit isn’t right.
While access opens the door to better mental health, compatibility determines whether people walk through it, stay, and ultimately recover.
