Cigna Europe has added two cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) products – Cigna CCBT and Elevate – to its mental health proposition.
Elevate is an extended clinical intervention programme designed to address the needs of participants with a formal diagnosis of depression or anxiety. It offers employees access to CBT psychologists.
To help better manage depression or anxiety, and to aid recovery, targeted long-term support, techniques and strategies are primarily delivered in a one-to-one, offline setting.
Meanwhile, Cigna CCBT enables employees to choose from topics covering resilience, sleep, stress and Covid-19. The programmes feature modules containing videos, interactive tools, reflective exercises and a journal for participants to keep track of personal thoughts and are accessible on computer, tablet or smartphone.
The new products sit alongside EARP by Konterra, where international humanitarian staff receive tailored support through the employee assistance and resilience programme (EARP), Konterra Ad-Hoc Services, which offers a range of tailored mental health and resilience services and IEAP, which offers professional counselling, resources and information to help employees address short-term mental health issues caused by pressure at work or at home.
Arjan Toor, CEO of Cigna Europe, (pictured) said: “Change is constant and people have been adapting to all sorts of change since the beginning of time.
“However, while human resilience is built in, the last two years have been an unprecedented test of endurance, and many of us have had to find new ways to cope with life’s daily pressures.
“Add to this the war in Ukraine, climate change and the cost of living crisis that can trigger anxiety, fear and overwhelm, and we can see the increased mental and psychological strain many are facing.
“We’re moving away from thinking about transactional healthcare. With the right support, anyone with a mental or emotional health concern can still thrive”.
Dr Peter Mills, clinical director at Cigna Europe, added: “Hypertension, heart attacks, strokes and weight gain are just some of the health concerns linked to mental health issues. The impact of poor mental health is significant but very often preventable, and recovery is possible for many people.
“Employers should be focused on empowering employees to take a holistic and preventative approach, and developing a proactive mindset.
“It’s not about getting employees back to physical wellbeing as soon as possible, it’s about creating healthy behaviours that can minimise the chance of physical or mental illnesses from occurring at all.”